Break
by SassyAngel05
Summary: What if Max had left during Harbor Lights, like she'd planned. Except the only way she could leave was with Alec...MA. I blame the season two boxset for these DA stories:P
1. Default Chapter

Title: Break

Author: Vona

Rating: PG, possibly PG-13.  Depends on my mood:P

Pairing: Hmm…Let me think.  M/A maybe?  Of course.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Show: Set at the beginning of Harbor Lights.

Genre: Angst, Romance, Adventure

Summary: What if Max did take a little vacation after Borrowed Time, like she'd planned in Harbor Lights, except the only way she could leave was if she let someone come with her.

**_Break_**

**_Chapter One_**

**_Leave_**

            Max Guevera stood in line for gas.  The truck had been there an hour and a half and her biggest fear was she wouldn't get any gas.  She wanted to leave town.  She needed to leave town.  She'd come back.  Seattle was her home now.  She just needed to separate herself from Logan for a while.  As cheesy as it sounded, she needed to find herself.  She needed the chance to think without him there, without him beeping her to save the world again.  He hadn't called her in a week, of course.  Not since he'd said he loved her.  Apparently that was acceptable in the world.  Blurt something like that out and then disappear.  Well, it was her turn to disappear.  

"Truck's tapped!  Go HOME!"  

Max groaned, as did the rest of the line.  She'd been waiting forever and now she wouldn't even get gas.  How was she supposed to leave town now?  Peddle her way on her Jam Pony bike?  Walk on foot?  Yeah, that'd be great.  She stared in a stupor for a moment, unwilling to believe she would be stuck in Seattle.  

"You look mad, Maxie."

Her brown eyes focused on the overly-confident transgenic standing in front of her.  
"Alec?  What are you doing here?"

"Getting some gas.  Like you are.  Or at least **_were_**." He stressed the last word, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"That'd make sense except for the fact that you have nothing that runs on gasoline.  Get some kind of sick pleasure out of stealing gas from people who actually need it?"  
"I'm **_'borrowing_**' a motorcycle.  To get out of town."  His green eyes flickered a bit at the mention of escaping the city.

"Why are you leaving?"

He raised his eyebrows, a surprised look on his face.  Like she didn't know.

"Three guesses."

Max didn't reply, just longingly watched the silver can he held.  The wheels started to turn in her head, and though she knew she would regret it, this was the only way she'd be able to leave.

"I'll make a deal with you, Alec.  I was going to leave Seattle for a week.  I need gas to leave town.  You need a motorcycle to leave town.  How about we share?"

"You'll help me steal a motorcycle for a half-gallon of gas?"

"No.  I'll let you ride on the back of my motorcycle and use the whole gallon."

The smirk appeared again, his stance irritating her.  Everything he did irritated her, though neither of them quite understood why.

"You want me to tag-along on your little road trip?  Won't the Log get mad?"

"The Log?"  Max muttered in disgust.  She continued, "He's not coming.  I'm taking a break from people."

"I'm not just people to you, Maxie?  I'm touched."  
"You don't count as anything, Alec.  You're just Alec."

"Well, you've got me convinced with your warm heart and kind invitation, " he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.'

"Great. Give me the can."

"Yeah, right.  You'd blur away, pour it in your bike and leave before I had a chance to hop on the back.  I'll be keeping the can for insurance."

"Whatever."

She stalked away from him, heading towards Jam Pony where her motorcycle was locked up.  Alec strolled after her, in no hurry.  It's not like Max could get anywhere without him anyway.

            They were at the last sector point they'd have to go through in Seattle.  Alec had called Normal, to let him know that he wouldn't be in for a week.

"Family emergency, Normal.  I've gotta get home and help out."  

Alec gave Max a small smile when she whipped her head around, a surprised look covering her face. Great, now she was going to have to explain to Normal why they were both gone at the same time and why she didn't call in sick or whatever.

"Well, I'll just have everyone else work double-shifts for you."

"Thanks, Normal.   Maxie won't be in, either."  

Max hadn't expected him to include her in the phone call.  And how could Alec use the family emergency thing anyway?  Didn't it say on his application that he had no family?  Hers did.

"And why won't Missy-Miss be in?  You have the respect to call in and let me know.  She disappears without a word and expects me to hold her job for her."

"She's here with me, Normal.  Max and I have known each other for a while, remember?  Family emergency includes her."

"She's not part of your family."

"But she's needed at home, too.  Come on, Normal.  Loosen up a bit.  We'll both be back in a week."

"Fine.  But make sure she knows the only reason I'm holding her job is because of you."

"Oh, don't worry.  I'll make sure she knows.  I deserve some respect from her.  Of course, she has a problem showing respect."

"Don't I know it.  I hope everything turns out okay at home.  Packages need delivering, Golden Boy.  I'll see you in exactly one week."

Alec hung up the phone, a self-assured grin on his face.

"You have me to thank for the job that's still waiting for you at home."

"Oh, I don't think I'll be able to contain myself.  I'm so grateful I'll still be able to work at that dump."

Alec rolled his eyes before tucking his phone into his pocket.

"How can you use the family emergency excuse, anyway?  You didn't say you had family on your application, did you?  Because you don't."  
"One, just because I was made in a test tube, doesn't mean I can't use the good ol' family emergency excuse.  Everyone else uses it.  My turn.  And second, if I counted family the way you do, I have plenty of brothers and sisters."

Max glared at him, regret for bringing him along already welling up inside of her.  She showed her Jam Pony badge at the checkpoint, as did Alec, and they were waved on through.  

"You know what I've decided would be a good plan?"

"What?  I'm sure it's great."

"You don't talk.  At all.  All week long.  No conversation between us.  Does that work for you?"  
Alec shrugged nonchalantly and put the helmet on.  Max was driving.  And she was ticked off at him.  He knew it was a strong possibility he could end up being thrown on the other end of the road and run over multiple times if he ticked her off too badly.  Max twisted her hair up into her helmet and revved the engine.  They were off.


	2. Resort

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Two_**

**_Resort_**

****

            Max felt dirty.  Riding down the highway didn't exactly promote cleanliness when on a motorcycle.  Plus, having Alec hang onto her for several hours didn't help.  Alec had offered to drive; she had to give him credit for that.  Of course, the thought of handing over her Ninja to Alec disgusted her even more.  They weren't anywhere near a town.  In fact, all that she could see was grass, pavement, a few trees, and an unreasonable amount of cars.  Max took a deep breath as she heard her pager go off once more.  Yes, that was only adding to the pleasure of the road trip.  The constant beeping of her pager every hour.  Now Logan decided to call her.  She looked ahead, and saw in the distance a building.  It sort of looked like a spa or resort or something.  Max pulled off to the side of the road and pulled her helmet off.

"I'm tired, Alec.  And I'm dirty.  We're going to have to pool are money together so we can stay up at that place ahead.  That is, if we have enough money put together."

Alec tilted his head and cleared his throat.

"Uh, we don't have to pool are money together."

"Why not?"

"I, sort of, came into some cash before we left."

"Came into?  Never mind.  I don't even want to know.  I'm just glad that you have some."

Max replaced her helmet and merged into the lane again.  She drove on until they reached the building.

            The resort was nice.  Fountains dotted the main lobby with bellhops and concierges waiting patiently for customers.  Obviously, The Pulse hadn't affected the spa industry.  She guessed that some of the rich people had stayed rich, so there would always be a call for a vacation spot.  She ignored the looks that the workers gave her and Alec when the walked through the lobby.  Apparently they weren't the normal clientele for the resort.  Well, they had the money, so it didn't really matter what the workers thought.  Alec smiled charmingly at the receptionist, who seemed flattered by his attention.  Max supposed that Alec was cute, and well, he did know exactly how to work people.  So the receptionist watched him appreciatively while Alec finagled them a room with no questions asked.  Maybe it was because he assured the receptionist that he and Max weren't together.  He wanted to keep his options open.  Max rolled her eyes in disgust when the receptionist handed him an ornate key with a flirtatious smile and an offer for him to come visit her anytime.  She stomped towards the working elevator, knowing that Alec would catch up.

            Alec opened the door for Max and she immediately surveyed the room.  At first, the only thing she saw was the one double-size bed, but she continued to look before getting too irritated.  She noted a balcony and the perfectly clean, white bathroom.  She hurried in with a sudden exclamation of "Running water!" followed by the sound of rushing water and a slight squeal.  Alec had rarely heard Max with that much emotion in her voice.  She peeked out, a wide grin on her face.

"I'm taking a hot shower with no interruptions."  

As if on cue, her pager rang once more, the annoyance showing on her face.  She didn't voice her opinion on it, but Alec couldn't resist.

"Looks like Logan's getting a little angry that you broke your leash, Maxie."

His comment received a slammed door in his face.  He heard a light sigh as she stepped in to the hot shower and he knew he'd been completely blocked out when she'd shut the door to the bathroom.  Alec perched himself on the bed and flipped on the television.

            His cell phone rang twenty-five minutes later.  He was a bit sluggish to answer it, though he knew he should.  It could be something important.  

"Yeah?"

"Alec?  It's Logan.  I've been paging Max for-"

"I noticed."

"She's there with you?  Great!  I have this mission for her.  Apparently a transgenic-"

"Do you ever think about anything other than the mission?  Do you consider that Max is more than just your own private soldier?  You're worse than Colonel Lydecker."

"I don't think that of Max."

"Right.  Which is why the only time you call her is when you need help on your Eyes Only stuff."

Exasperation bubbled over inside of Alec.  He was tired of seeing Max being used by Logan over and over.  She was as naïve as he was when it came to relationships.  Max was always at Logan's beck and call, which wasn't any different than when he was at Manticore.  Though they didn't always get along, he did care about her.  She was his friend whether they admitted it or not.  He wasn't going to let the Log use her anymore.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Alec.  It isn't really any of your concern."

Alec's voice started to rise.  It only proved his irritation with Logan.

"Max is my concern."

"Why?  Is she part of your last mission from Manticore?  Torment her until she breaks?"

"Manticore has nothing to do with this.  It's kind of cheap that you pull the Manticore card," Alec lowered his voice when he heard the water shut off, "every time you don't like us revolting against the important, all-knowing, self-righteous Eyes Only."

"Let me talk to Max."

"She's in the shower right now.  I'll make sure she knows you called.  Don't call this phone again this week.  She needs a break from you."

"According to the sociopathic transgenic?"

"I didn't know you thought Max was sociopathic."

"Tell her I'll meet her at Crash."

Alec heard the door creak open.  Max stuck her head out, "Alec?  Can you call down to the front desk for some towels?  They didn't put any in here."

"Oh, gotta go, Logan.  It was fun talking to you."

Alec hung up, a pleased smile spreading across his face. Nothing gave him more pleasure than hanging up on Logan Cale.

"Sure, Max."

He went to the hotel phone and dialed up the front desk immediately.

            Max leaned against the counter, a proud smile on her face.  She'd heard Alec's speech and from what she'd gathered, he was chewing Logan out.  She'd become more and more fed up with the way Logan treated her.  She'd been indescribably happy when he'd finally declared his love for her.  They'd been dancing around it for a year and a half.  She'd never really had someone to love her, and though she hated the realization, she craved it.  But then he'd held it over her head.  She didn't know what she was supposed to do after his declaration and he hadn't felt like talking to her until Eyes Only needed something again.  Something life threatening.  She was beginning to wonder if it was her abilities that Logan loved, not her.  That thought was what had sent her on this insane road trip, even allowing Alec to come with her, just so she could leave Seattle.  She never thought of herself as being needy, but she was wondering if maybe she was lonely and she'd fallen in with someone whom she thought loved her.  Someone who did use her.  She was confused, to say the least, but she did appreciate what Alec had said.  He was almost protective of her.  That wasn't Alec's style, though.  Alec didn't care about anyone but himself, with the exception of Rachel Berrisford.  Maybe that changed Alec a bit, the realization that he loved Rachel.  Alec wasn't used to usual human emotions, so it was possible that he'd learned something knew when she'd died.  It was as if it had snapped him out of some emotionally stunted daze and pushed him into a reality.  He was still Alec, of course, but he was a little different.  Different enough that she could detect a slight change.  Not that she'd wanted to notice it.  She preferred seeing him as the happy-go-lucky Golden Boy who always had a scam going.  He didn't have much depth before she'd discovered everything that had happened with the Berrisfords.  Suddenly, everything he did made sense to her because she'd been the same for so many years.  Suddenly, she had something to bond with Alec over, even if she didn't want it.  A quiet knock sounded on the door, breaking her from her reverie.

"Max, you towel boy is here."

Max allowed her self a brief, silent laugh before opening the door.  She didn't want Alec to know she though he was funny.  That would only encourage him.  She grabbed two of the fluffy white towels offered to her and muttered a thanks quickly, shutting Alec out.  She couldn't think about Alec anymore.  She might decide she liked him.  And she didn't want that.


	3. Disheveled

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Three_**

**_Disheveled_**

            Max awoke with a start.  She rarely slept for long and she almost never let her guard down when she did sleep.  She had, though, after her shower last night.  She'd crawled into the overstuffed bed and fallen asleep instantly without much thought to Alec.  They hadn't discussed the sleeping arrangements.  She'd assumed Alec would sleep on the other side of the bed when he was tired enough without asking her permission.  He hadn't asked, but as Max became more conscious of her surroundings, she realized he hadn't been in bed at all.  She scanned the room for him, suddenly worried.  Alec was staring out the window, looking quite disheveled, his hair sticking up all over.  His jacket and T-shirt were strewn on the couch next to him; he looked plain exhausted.  Max sat up, cocking her head to study him further.  He didn't even seem aware of her presence, which worried her even more.  Usually he had some smart-ass comment to grace her with, along with a sly smile.  But he seemed far away.  

"Alec?"

He didn't respond right away.  He seemed to be processing that someone was speaking to him.  He didn't turn to face her, either, just stared at the sun rising.  He shook his head, clearing his mind, or maybe trying to bring it back to earth.

"Max.  How long have you been awake?"

"Just a few seconds.  What were you thinking about?"

Alec didn't turn to look at her.  "Thinking about? Come on, Maxie, you know better. My mind is usually blank.  You tell me that everyday."

Max sighed.  She'd known better than to ask Alec about his issues.  He could never be serious.  He wouldn't tell her anything; he liked keeping any real information to himself.  He would blather on and on about stuff she never even wanted to hear about, but she finally wanted him to talk, and of course, he wouldn't.  Max threw back the duvet cover and climbed out of the bed.  Her shirt was wrinkled and her hair was wavy from not drying it.  She looked refreshed, despite the unkempt appearance.  Alec, on the other hand, looked like he'd downed three bottles of scotch and been up for a week with one awful hangover.

"Fine.  Forget I even asked.  Not like I care anyways."

"Well, I'm not disabled and ugly, so obviously you wouldn't want to listen to me."

Max whipped around, her eyes slits.  So much for the slightly sweet Alec she'd overheard last night.  That had only been a fluke.  Why she thought Alec might be remotely human was beyond her.  Alec was a smart ass.  He would never change. A little voice inside of her said she wouldn't have Alec any other way.  Still, the louder voice that reminded her of her irritation won out.

"You're just jealous that Logan is a good man and you can never be."

"I hate to break it to you, but you aren't exactly pure as the driven snow."

"At least I make an effort."  
"And what an effort it is.  'I only steal from bad guys.'  What an improvement!"

"You do it, too."  
"Yeah, but I'm honest about it."

"Isn't that an oxymoron?"

The two transgenics stood off, neither willing to back down.  Unfortunately, transgenics were bred to be stubborn, so neither would move from their position.  Max folded her arms and shifted her weight.  They stared at each other with a passion not seen in most.

"You know what, I'm starving.  I'm going to get some food."

Max skulked away, slamming the door behind her.  Alec growled and entered the bathroom, returning the slam with a louder bang.

            Alec turned on the faucet.  Max wasn't the only one who deserved a hot shower.  He pulled off his undershirt then checked the temperature again.  He waited for a few more moments, still seething from his fight with Max and then stepped underneath the hot spray.  He didn't want to think about Max anymore.  Sure, he'd been crabby with her this morning, but she returned it full force.  No, he wasn't going to think about her anymore.  Maybe the water would make him feel alive again.  He hadn't been able to sleep.  He had given Max her space, not even bothering to ask her if he could sleep in the bed.  He'd taken the couch, which wasn't too uncomfortable, but he had been too wired to sleep.  After finally telling the Log off, he'd felt great.  Logan annoyed him.  He was self-righteous and he used Max, which typically meant he was dragged into it.  He was tired of having to take orders from Chinchilla boy, even if they were indirect.  Logan was no better than Manticore.  Just thinking about Logan irritated him more and he couldn't even enjoy his shower.  He moved on to think about the rest of his night.  He'd finally started to doze off and suddenly he felt a slap and a scream of Daddy.  Images of Rachel hit him consecutively.  Rachel had come back to haunt him in his dreams and his waking hours.  Suddenly any desire to sleep vanished as he saw her pale face with tears streaming down her face.  No, he couldn't sleep at all.  He'd tossed and turned, paced and stared in a daze, all happening without Max awakening, surprisingly.  He'd watched the sun rise, which was supposed to warm human's hearts.  Not him.  It made him bitterer, thinking how Rachel would never see another day and how much he'd missed in his life being a damned genetically engineered soldier.  Alec turned off the water, feeling more upset than he had before.  This just wasn't his day.  He stepped out and pulled a towel on.  The door opened slowly and Max stepped in.

"I checked us out.  We've got to be gone by 12."

"Thanks for knocking.  I knew you just wanted to see me naked."

Despite the anger Max felt towards Alec, she had to admit that Alec looked nice in that towel.  Twice in a week she'd seen him in just a towel, all wet.  And he looked good.  She'd never admit it, not even to herself.  She simply couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You're so full of yourself.  I just didn't want you to make us late."

"I'll be out in a second."

Max shut the door loudly, not quite a slam, but close, leaving Alec inside.  Little did Alec know she'd left so angrily because she'd realized how attracted she was to Alec.  And that was the last thing she'd wanted.


	4. Barred

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Four_**

**_Barred_**

            Max and Alec had been speeding down the highway all day.  She didn't see any sign of a place to go and she was wondering if they should have stayed at the resort.  At least they'd have some place to stay and take a break at.  Alec had been unusually well-behaved considering the tumultuous morning they'd experienced.  Max had expected Alec to try to annoy her all day long, but he was uncharacteristically subdued.  She didn't mind considerate Alec, but it confused her.  Finally, a bar came into view as the sunset.  A bar in the middle of nowhere.  Of course.  There were always people needing alcohol.  She pulled in front of the bar and stopped the Ninja.  Alec got off without a word and slipped his sunglasses off.

"Come on, Alec.  Stop giving me the silent treatment."  
"I'm not five, Max.  I wasn't giving you the silent treatment.  I just didn't have anything to say to you.  Imagine that.  My world doesn't revolve around you."

Alec turned on his heel and skulked inside the bar.  He was crabby.  Max sensed it; she deserved it probably.  She had sort of been horrible to him that morning, although he had provoked it.  She rarely felt guilty about her actions, but it was one of those days that she did.  Alec had been having a rough couple of weeks.  She was aware of that, so she shouldn't have attacked him this morning.  He'd had no qualms about kicking her when she was down, so she didn't know why she was feeling remorseful over it.  She continued her debate about whether Alec deserved her treatment or not as she stomped into the bar, just as ticked off as Alec was.

            Alec immediately ordered himself a scotch and disappeared into a booth, no invitation for Max to join him on his face.  So he was going to keep up this spoiled two-year-old act.  She took her place at the bar and ordered a mug of beer.  It was odd not ordering a pitcher, she was used to needing to get it for everyone.  She was alone now, though.  She sipped as she cased the place to get a good hold on who was in the bar.  A couple of girls dressed scantily were watching Alec closely, appreciating his looks.  Three bikers were at a pool table, shooting a game and drinking themselves into a stupor.  One man stood out, though, at least to her.  He was wearing a nice suit and he seemed very out of place.  He was attractive with black hair, olive skin, and brown eyes.  Still, he didn't fit in to the middle-of-nowhere bar.  Being transgenic, it set her nerves on edge, but she tried to not jump to conclusions.  She succeeded until she saw him watching her.  It seemed to be more than him checking her out, but she wasn't sure.  She stood up stealthily and took her mug over to the table.  Alec was sandwiched in between the two girls, a self-assured smile as he flirted shamelessly with them.  

"We need to talk."

"I just love the way you open conversations.  I think the Log has been rubbing off on you.  Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I'm sure they'll be just as easy later as they are now.  This is important."  
"Thing is, it always is with you, Max."

The girls seemed really offended by Max's words and Alec's response.  Max wasn't sure why.  She'd simply stated it the way she saw it and it wasn't like the girls could deny it.  One girl slid out of the booth as Alec took another gulp of his scotch.  

"We'll be over there, Alec."  The other one drawled while giggling obnoxiously.  Max slid in where they had been as Alec's facial expression showed his irritation at her interruption.

"You just made things that much harder…"

"You're hot, Alec.  You'll smile and they'll give in."

Alec sat up a bit straighter, his hazel eyes flashing with amusement.  Max had learned that his amusement was a very dangerous thing where she was concerned.  It usually meant he was laughing at something at her own expense.

"You think I'm hot?"

Max didn't deny it.  Alec always knew when she was lying, even when she didn't.  It was a curse between the two.

"There's a guy, by the jukebox," Max plowed on ahead in the conversation, "that looks a little out of place, don't you think?  He's been watching me since we got here."

Alec nonchalantly raised his head and scanned the bar, but found only the bikers and the girls there.  He offered a slight wave to them before turning his attention back on Max.

"You could just tell me if you were jealous.  You don't have to make up some mysterious figment of your imagination to get me to stop hitting on those girls."

Max's head whipped over and saw that the man was nowhere to be seen.  He'd disappeared!

"He's gone. He had on a suit, tie, you know, business wear.  That's kinda out place for this dump, you know?  I didn't notice any fancy cars when we came in, just a bunch of bikes and that one awful car that probably belongs to the slut sisters."

"And what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Fine.  You don't care.  Whatever.  I'll let you get back to your ever-important quest to get laid."

She slammed her mug down on the table; the impact causing the glass to shatter.  Beer spilled out onto her cut hand, making it sting.  She let out a curse as Alec started to stand up. He felt almost guilty for making Max so mad.  She didn't usually get hurt on account of his provoking insults.  She held her hands up, injured and not.

"Just leave me alone.  You're such an ass."

She stormed off in the direction of the bathroom to attend to her injured hand.  

            Max slipped outside after wrapping her hand with a paper towel.  She didn't want to watch Alec with the girls, in fact, she didn't want to see Alec at all.  She resisted the temptation to drive off and leave him there to fend for himself.  She could be halfway home by the time he realized she was gone.  Of course, she couldn't.  Not because her conscience wouldn't allow it, but because her wallet wouldn't.  Alec had just pulled off some big heist because he had plenty of cash with him.  So, without him, she wouldn't be able to do much.  She leaned against her Ninja, wrapping her arms around herself.  The sun had gone down and due to that, the air had turned much cooler.  She didn't mind too much, but she did miss the extra warmth.  She eyed the other bikes, admiring one.  Bikers may be ugly, but they did have some pretty good taste when it came to the machinery.  

"Certainly hope you weren't planning on stealing one."

Max's spine stiffened at the unfamiliar voice.  She turned slowly and found herself looking at the mysterious man from the bar. 

"You thought I wasn't real, like your little boyfriend thought?"

"No.  I'm not crazy.  And he's not my boyfriend."  
"You seemed jealous of the other girls, so I assumed."

"Who are you?"

"You just jump to the point, don't you?"

"Did you think I was going to flirt with you all night?"

He smiled, showing perfectly white teeth.  His black hair fell a bit into his eyes as the breeze blew between them.

"I didn't know we were flirting.  My name is Otto."

"Otto.  Weird name."  
"Depends on where you're from, Max."

She took a deep breath, surprised to hear him call her by her name.  It also made her nervous.  She could take care of this guy if he was going to attack her, but what if there were others.  What if he was part of White's breeding cult buddies?

"How do you know my name?"

"I've been a part of the team to round up the transgenics in Seattle.  452 has been on the top of that list, along with 494."

"So you know who we are."  
"Obviously."  
"And you've what, come to take us in?"

"Actually, no.  I've sort of defected.  Agent White has seemed a little off, lately, like he has a hidden agenda.  I don't like it at all.  So, I decided to leave the operations group.  But in doing so, I've severely ticked off Agent White.  So I've come to you for help."

"You tracked us down."  
"I knew had left town, so I went south.  And here you are."  
"You're pretty good at it, apparently.  Transgenics are hard to track."

"Yes, well, I've had plenty of practice."

"And have you had enough practice to make sure you weren't followed?"

"Yes.  That doesn't mean he won't find me.  I think Agent White knew what I had been planning, so I bet he'll come after me."

"What you have been planning?"

"That comes in time, Max.  I just needed to make contact with you.  I plan to go back to Seattle, soon.  But I can't leave until you go on to Seattle."

"I'm taking a vacation.  You can't bust in and try to make me stop just to save your sorry ass."

"You're right about that.  I can't force you to come with me.  But I could always take you into custody and tell Agent White I had a special tip on how to find you.  He'd take me back into the NSA fold with open arms."

"A hug from Amesy and all is well?"

"Most likely."

"I have to wait on Alec."

"Fine by me.  I'm in no real hurry to head back to Seattle.  In fact, I think we should stay here overnight."

Max's eyes flashed with annoyance.  She didn't take orders from people.  She didn't take suggestions from people.  She didn't like this Otto guy.  He still creeped her out and she definitely didn't trust him.  There was something behind his words that she didn't understand. 

"Whatever."

Max turned on her heel and headed back inside the bar.  She needed to talk to Alec.


	5. Agreement

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Five_**

**_Agreement_**

            Max stalked back into the bar and scanned it for Alec.  She had expected to see him flirting with the girls, but instead, he was hidden in the corner of the room chatting on the phone.  Probably running his latest scam.  It didn't matter if he was in Seattle or not.  There was always someone else who could deliver on his promises for him.  That was Alec's philosophy.  He'd mastered selfishness quickly considering he'd only been out in the regular world for a few months. Alec snapped his phone shut the instant he saw Max discover him.  She was glaring; her eyes narrowed in anger, her cheeks flushed showing her displeasure.  She stormed to him, so Alec placed the innocent don't-yell-at-me face on, hoping to avoid yet another confrontation with Max. 

"What can I do for you, Maxie?"  He knew that simply by calling her Maxie, he'd provoked her, but he couldn't help it.  He was used to calling her Maxie.  Her hands rested on her hips as she decided whether to let the name pass or not.

"His name is Otto."  She stated it calmly, as though she was trying to prove something to Alec.

"Okay, so now you're naming your imaginary friends.  That's not the way to impress me.  It makes me think you've sort of lost your mind."

Max resisted the urge to slap the smug look off his face.  She knew that would only create a scene and draw attention to the pair of transgenics.  Especially since Alec would likely retaliate.

"Otto works for the NSA, Alec.  He's good buddies with Ames White."

Alec's eyes widened, golden flecks flickering in hazel irises.  If Max were so distressed, she would have found herself admiring him.

"Are you serious?"

"You know I joke about White a lot."

Alec nodded, realizing her point.

"White doesn't know where we are, at least not yet. Otto wants us to help him with something, but I don't know what it is.  He's defected from the NSA unit designed to pick transgenics up.  He's threatened to inform White of our whereabouts if we don't help him.  The NSA wouldn't care if he had defected, this would simply prove himself.  You know we're on the top ten list of those to catch."

Alec rolled his eyes and spoke as if he were explaining something to a two-year-old.  "Like the two of us can't take him down.  We're transgenics, Max.  In case you've forgotten, we were designed to fight."

"I remember, Alec.  I can't seem to forget.  But we can't risk the exposure of beating an NSA agent up.  Information about us is starting to leak out.  If we draw attention to ourselves-"

"We risk exposure.  I know.  You tell me about the dangers of exposure repeatedly.  It's not like you would ever let me forget."

"So we have to work with Otto."

"Not without an explanation."

Max sighed and allowed a slight bit of vulnerability to break through.  She was scared.  She didn't know how to get out of this situation.  Otto had known she and Alec had left town and had been able to track them.  Tracking transgenics were hard, especially for ordinaries.  So much for her break from drama.  First Alec had to come, then Logan called her constantly and now this Otto guy was putting pressure on her.  It was frustrating.  Alec saw the flash of worry in Max's eyes and he suddenly realized he would work with the ex-NSA agent.  If for no other reason, then to help alleviate Max's extra stress.  She was evil to him most of the time, but he had a soft spot for Max he couldn't explain.  He didn't want to explain the soft spot.

"Fine.  Let's go talk to _Otto_."

Max shot him a grin that resembled gratefulness and sadness all at once.  Alec slung an arm around her shoulders, almost in a comforting action.  And for once, Max didn't punch him.

            Otto was seated on the hood of a car, sipping on a beer.  He seemed bored with the scenery, but no more inclined to leave the bar than Max and Alec had been.   He didn't seem surprised by Alec's appearance outside, nor Max's.  He'd been expecting Alec to come out, raging and ready to kill something.  Alec was actually much more calm than he'd expected, but perhaps that was because of the training Alec had received.  Not many people knew the pretty boy was able to kill them with a snap of his wrist, nor suspected it of him.  Or maybe he'd simply underestimated Alec's worry about exposure.  Alec didn't seem too concerned about other transgenics, at least none other than Max.  Otto didn't turn to face them, didn't even acknowledge them.  He imagined Alec was taking him in, looking for weakness, cracks in his façade.  Fortunately, Alec wouldn't find any.

"Can I help you, 494?"  Otto finally asked.

"The name is Alec now."

"Right.  Alec Smart, employee of Jam Pony for seven months."

"I hardly add in that last part.  Jam Pony isn't a real great place to be working."

"Better than working for Manticore, is it not?"

Alec allowed that question to slide by.  All three of them knew the answer to it.  Alec walked closer to the car, examining his surroundings.  He half expected Ames White and company to jump out from behind the building to corner them.  Still, Otto appeared to be completely alone.  
"Max told me about your blackmailed proposition."

"It's hardly blackmail.  I simply helped her along with her decision."

"Oh, and you were quite a bit of help, Otto."  Max spoke up from behind Alec.  The sarcasm was noted in her voice, but Otto didn't comment.  

"What is it that you wanted, Alec?  I assume you came out to talk to me about something, and I doubt it was just to get the pleasure of my company."

"I want to know what it is you want us to do.  I want to know who you are.  I want to know why you left the NSA.  I want to know why we should believe this isn't just some kind of trap that White set up for us."

"If it was a trap, White would already have you.  You wouldn't be able to ask me any questions by the time he's done with you."

"That I'll buy.  Now the rest of my questions."

"Don't need to be answered.  You're working for me now.  Or I'll make a little call to White and let him finish with you."

"See, blackmail.  It doesn't really affect me.  I could get away before you even knew what hit you."  
"Yes, maybe you could, but both of you couldn't.  We could find you if you were traveling together."

"So we'd separate."

"You and Max wouldn't separate.  I've been watching you for quite awhile."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning you're attached to Max and Max is attached to you.  You wouldn't leave her behind without knowing she was safe.  You play the cocky, self-centered boy well enough, but I can still see it."  
"Max and I are always fighting.  What part of that makes you think I care if Max is all right or not?"

"You've saved her many times, as she has you.  That shows you care.  Besides, you wouldn't be out here talking to me if you didn't care about her.  You could have escaped without me noticing and you'd have been safe."

Alec narrowed his eyes.  "So you're simply refusing to answer.  What if I decided to kill you?  I could do it easily enough.  And it's not like it would haunt my conscience or something."

"Yes, but an NSA agent turns up dead and there would be hell to pay.  You know that.  It would be blamed on transgenics.  White would see this as a perfect opportunity to expose you all."  
"Two things wrong with that theory.  One, you're an ex-NSA agent.  Two, I don't really care about the other transgenics."

"I haven't been officially drummed out of my service yet.  I've simply disappeared without a word.  They could say I've been kidnapped and then murdered."  
Alec fell quiet.  They would come after him if they found Otto dead.  It could be risky for all of them, not just him and Max. Joshua.  And some of the others.  Even Original Cindy could be in danger.  Otto had them backed into a corner.    
"I hope that answers all of your questions, Alec.  I'd hate to think you weren't on board with this whole deal."

Alec glared but didn't fight.  Max was tense next to him.  She probably hoped he'd fix this for her.  He wanted to.  

"We'll head back to Seattle tomorrow.  Enjoy your night."

Otto hopped off the car and headed back inside the bar, leaving Max and Alec to talk.

            "He really does have us backed into a corner, doesn't he, Max?"  Alec asked her softly.  Max nodded.  "Did you think I was lying about what he'd said?"

"No.  I just thought-"

"You'd be able to talk our way out of it.  Yeah.  I'd kind of hoped you would be able to.  If nothing else, you can talk."  Max smiled slightly, meeting Alec's gaze.  Yeah.  They were in trouble.


	6. Away

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Six_**

**_Away_**

            Max and Alec stood by the Ninja as the sun rose over the nearly deserted bar.  Alec hated being at the beck and call of Otto.  He hated that he hadn't been able to stop them from being blackmailed.  He was usually the blackmailer, not the other way around.  He felt vulnerable out in the open since he had the knowledge that Otto knew whom they were.  Otto could ruin their lives by simply pushing a number on speed dial.  One word to White and he and Max could be separated and shipped off to be studied in a lab.  Since everyone knew he and Max had left town, no one would be looking for them.  Alec sighed as his phone vibrated.  For once, he wished it were Logan.  Maybe he would be able to get them out of this situation.  He glanced at the caller ID only to see Jam Pony Messengers.  Probably Normal checking up on him and his family emergency.  He slid the phone back into his pocket just as Otto approached.

"I hope you're not sending an SOS to Eyes Only.  I'd hate to turn him into White."

Alec rolled his eyes, "If you knew me at all, you would know I wouldn't care if you turned Eyes Only into White."

"Yes, but Maxie would."

Max narrowed her eyes, her displeasure shining through.  Alec didn't know if it was directed at him, Otto, or both.  Max was straddling her motorcycle, but she looked like she was about to hurl herself at Otto and beat him down.  Alec would have enjoyed seeing that. 

"You look like you're ready to leave.  Are you?"

"I'll never be ready to leave, Otto, but I can leave.  Alec is, too."

"She speaks for you now, 494?  It's almost like having a wife."

That comment received the expected reception he'd wanted.  He enjoyed getting a rise out of the two transgenics since he knew they wouldn't do anything about it.  They were afraid of him and Otto enjoyed the power.  Max and Alec could snap his neck in seconds, but they couldn't because he had power over them.  He understood now why White enjoyed being in charge of the team.  He had power over the team.  They had to do what he said or they'd be punished.  But Otto had defected.  He hoped the transgenics wouldn't get the same idea.

"I'll be following you.  Wouldn't want you to get any ideas about running away on your motorcycle.  Go down Highway 119 and turn off at the Sheridan Exit."

"Where is that going to take us?"

"It'll lead you where I want.  I'll be following you, so don't worry about getting lost, 452."

Max put her helmet on before handing another one to Alec.  She started the engine without another look at Otto.  She was afraid he would be able to see the self-loathing she was feeling.  She was allowing herself to be blackmailed, which disgusted her.  What disgusted her even more was that Otto had been able to track her.  She'd been able to hide from the best trackers for years, but an inexperienced Ordinary could find her.  She wanted to blame Alec.  Say he had slowed her down and left an obvious trail behind them.  But she knew better.  She knew Alec had nothing to do with Otto following them.  She'd gotten sloppy.  She'd stopped worrying so much since she'd destroyed Manticore.  And now she was paying the price for that laziness.  She snapped out of her poisonous thoughts when she felt Alec's arms slide around her waist.  She knew Alec was just holding on for when she drove off, but his hold comforted her.  Alec made things seem okay.  For once, she was glad he was with her.  She wasn't being blackmailed alone, as twisted as that sounded.  She had Alec.  Even if he didn't know it.  She put her foot on the pedal and they sped away from the bar, not wishing to think anymore about how much she depended Alec now.  Otto followed in his car close behind.

            Max resisted the urge to turn off and speed up in hopes of losing Otto.  She just wanted to get rid of him, get rid of the feeling of impending doom looming over her heart.  She knew better than trying, because Otto was watching her like a hawk.  She could feel his dark eyes boring into her back like lasers trying to cut through glass.  He would be there if she tried to escape and Otto wouldn't even let her drive her baby anymore if she tried.  She wanted to keep the little bit of freedom she had.  So she continued down the long, nearly empty road until she saw the Sheridan Exit.  She merged onto the off ramp and drove on down to the small town traffic.  She saw a fast food restaurant ahead, so she decided to pull in to the parking lot.  Otto hadn't told her where to go after she turned off the highway.  Otto didn't look pleased at the detour, but he didn't complain when he got out of his car.  Alec slid his off helmet and stood up to stretch.  Sitting behind Max for several hours was hardly comfortable.  Max did the same, before she turned her attention on Otto.

"Where are we?"

"Ashington."

"I've never even heard of Ashington."

"It's in Oregon."

"We're in Oregon?"

"Yeah.  I guess it would be helpful if the states would put up those 'Welcome to' signs again."

"Why are we in Oregon?"

"It's in between Washington and California."

"Thanks for the geography lesson."

"We need to get to California. I figure if we stop here for a rest and leave at dawn in the morning, we can make it to California tomorrow."

"What's in California, Otto?"

"Ah, not yet."

"I didn't try to run away, Otto, so don't you think I deserve to know what's going on?"

"You think you get a cookie for not escaping?  It's not like you didn't think about trying it.  And while you may have canine DNA, you don't get a treat for being a good little girl."

Max folded her arms across her chest while she studied Otto for any sign of weakness.  If she could find a hole in his explanation, or a sign of something wrong, she could turn the whole thing around on him.  Unfortunately, Otto was cool and collected.  He acted as if there was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing odd about holding two well-known transgenics hostage.  He didn't even seemed worried about their travels.  The only thing he seemed worried about was White finding them before Otto completed his mission.  He wasn't exactly afraid of White, he just had another agenda that could be screwed up if White showed.  For once, Max wondered if White coming would be good.

"You said something about us staying here overnight."

"Yes, I did.  You two may be able to stay up all night and all day, but I am not.  So we'll be stopping at a motel for a room."

"A room.  I'm not staying in the same room as you."

"I'm not going to feel you up, 452."

"I wasn't worried about it.  You'd lose a hand before you got a chance to."

"I won't be letting you stay in your own room."

"We could kill you in your sleep."

"We've been through this, 452.  I even explained it to 494.  I don't wish to go over it again."

Max sighed. 

"We could get adjoining rooms.  That'd be a nice compromise, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not here to compromise with you."

"You're here to blackmail me.  Yes, we know that already.  Come on, Otto. It won't be so bad."

"We'll see, 452.  The Ashington Motel isn't too far away.  We'll get a room there."

Otto turned his back, a dangerous move with transgenics, but he got in his car unscathed.  He started the engine, leaving Max no choice but to do the same.  She got on the motorcycle, waiting for an unusually silent Alec to get back on.

            Max collapsed on the bed, not out of exhaustion, but out of relief.  She was finally able to lay flat and her back felt some degree of relief after being on her bike all day long.  Otto had finally agreed to adjoining rooms that he locked from the outside.  There was no way out for them unless they kicked the door down.  Otto felt confident enough that he would be able to hear that, even if he was sleeping.  So Alec and Max were sharing the room and Otto got his own.  Max closed her eyes listening to the sounds around her.  She could hear Alec shuffling around in the bathroom, washing his face.  She could hear Otto in his room, settling in on the bed as the springs creaked beneath his weight.  She could even hear the crickets making their violin like calls into the middle of the night.  Small towns were much quieter than Seattle; they even seemed like they weren't hit by the Pulse as badly.  They had been able to repair their town unlike the larger cities in the US.  Max rolled over on the bed, cuddling into the mostly clean pillow.  Alec entered the room with a groan.  
"Please tell me you'll share, Maxie."

"I will."

Alec hesitated, wondering if it was a trick.  He'd expected a big fight over sharing the bed, but Max seemed submissive to the thought.  She didn't even move from the bed when she said she would.  Alec sat on the edge, gingerly, waiting for her arm to reach out and punch him.  Nothing.  Alec scooted a bit closer to her before touching her arm gently.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Alec knew when he could push Max to her limits.  She was already there, so he didn't try to make any further conversation.  He settled back down into the bed and pulled the blanket up over his bare chest.  The two laid silently, side-by-side, each wondering what to say or if they should even say anything.  Max finally reached over and grasped Alec's hand, to the surprise of both of them.  Alec didn't comment on it.  He was afraid of ruining the moment.  Before he could, though, his phone rang.  He glanced over at it like it was a bug needing to be squashed, but he knew he should answer it.  Logan might be calling.  And he might be able to help them out of their recent predicament.  Alec reached over and answered, "Yeah?"

"Alec."

"Ah, Logan.  I'm surprised to hear from you so soon."

Alec sensed the confused silence on the other end of the phone line and he couldn't help but smile.  Logan couldn't tell sarcasm if it-well bit him.

"Yes, well, I have an emergency for Max.  I know you said not to call, but Max should really hear this."

"I'm actually glad you called, buddy.  Here she is now."

Alec handed the phone to Max, imagining the confusion those words had just caused the Log.

"Logan?"

"Max!  I'm glad I could finally reach you.  I think you're beeper is out of batteries or something."

Max smiled slightly, remembering removing them earlier.  Logan didn't know that, nor would he ever know that.

"Oh.  Yeah. Actually, Logan, I need to talk to you about-"

"You know Wendy disappeared shortly after we found out White's the one who kidnapped Ray.  Well, I've gotten a lead about that breeding cult we found out about. Wendy's been-"

"Logan!  I said I needed to talk to you about something."  
"This is important, Max."

"So's what I have to say.  I'm being held hostage."

"I know you don't like Alec that much.  I don't either.  But you're the one who voluntarily left with him."

Max let out a grunt of frustration.  Was he not listening to her at all?  Was she not being clear in what she was saying?

"Alec isn't holding me hostage, Logan.  Otto is.  He's an ex-NSA agent.  Used to be one of White's groupies until he figured out White is a certified sociopath.  He's basically blackmailing Alec and me to do what ever it is he wants us to do.  He won't tell us what he wants, but we have to follow him.  We're in Ashington, Oregon right now.  Do you have any contacts that could help us?"

"No.  Not really.  Most of my contacts are in Washington, with a few spread out.  You'll have to get out of this on your own.  I have to find Wendy…"

"Logan Cale, so help me, you better find a way to get me and Alec out of this, or you're little Eyes Only guard dog will be gone."

"Max-"

"I'm serious, Logan.  Find out what you can about Otto and his purpose.  I'll help with Wendy if you'll just get us out of this."

Logan seemed to be debating helping her, which Max couldn't believe.  After all she'd done for Logan, after all Alec had done for him, Logan had to think about helping them.  Of course.  Other people were more important.  They always were with Logan.

"All right, Max.  I'll call you as soon as I find something."

"Good."

Max snapped the phone shut and tossed it at Alec.  He replaced it at it's previous place before looking over at Max.

"Don't say a word, Alec."

"I was just-"

"No."

Alec licked his lips before biting on one.  "Night, Max."

Max sighed, knowing she'd been a little mean to Alec. She felt a little guilty, but not enough to apologize.  Still, to offer a little truce, she replied.

"Night, Alec."


	7. Dreamers

AN: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this story.  I've been busy and working on some of my other stories, but I promise now I'll work on this one as regularly as I do my others.  Thank you for your patience!

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Seven_**

**_Dreamers_**

****

****

            Max stirred in her sleep as the usual nightmares plagued her.  Zack, Tinga, Jondy , Zane, Ben, all of her siblings always came to her then, after she fell into unconsciousness.  It had taken her hours to finally succumb to the sleep, almost 4 AM.  Otto was expecting them by sunup, which didn't leave her much time to sleep.  In a way, that was a good thing.  The less sleep she had, the more aware she was of her surroundings.  She wouldn't have as much time to dream so she wouldn't be thinking about them the next day.  Of course, even the littlest amount of sleep brought the nightmares.  Nightmares she would never forget.

**_"Zack!  Where are you?  I can't find you?"  A small girl, with wide brown eyes and shorn hair, was running around the woods.  "Brin?  Tinga?  Ben?  This is not a simulation.  Come to me!"_**

**_She ran over dry leaves and a fallen log, barely stumbling.  She moved with speed rarely seen in humans, but then again, she wasn't.  Her wide eyes wanted to fill with tears, but crying was not acceptable in a soldier.  She glanced around with an almost desperate look, her eyes focusing in on any sign of movement, her hearing advanced to any sound.  She turned and saw Ben standing there, smiling a toothless smile.  He looked odd without the teeth, but he seemed almost happy.  He clutched a small statuette that was easily identified as the Blue Lady.  Then, as he opened his mouth to speak, blood spilled out instead of words.  His eyes watched her hauntingly as he fell to the ground from lack of breath.  Max ran to him, calling his name.  "Ben!  Wait!  I can help you!"_**

**_She knelt down next to him, pulling his head into her lap, but he was gone before she knew what happened.  Zack seemed to take his place._**

**_"Maxie!  How could I ever forget you?" _**

**_"You couldn't.  Even when you tried to forget.  You're my big brother, Zack."  
"And I forgot you trying to protect you.  You breathe because I gave you my heart.  They tortured me because of you and now I can't even remember who I am."_**

**_"Zack-please, you have to understand.  You were going to kill Logan."_**

**_"Please.  Logan?  I was one of you and you betrayed me.  I was your family."_**

**_Zack vanished, leaving little Max feeling helpless.  She got back to her feet and began her search again.  Her brothers and sisters were missing.  _**

**_"Brin!  Brin!  Zack disappeared!  And so did Ben!  Help me!"_**

**_Brin appeared at a clearing in the woods, but there was no way it could be her.  She smiled through gnarled lips, wrinkles covering her body. She was bent over and in pain, but other than that, she was okay._**

**_"It's okay, Little One, you'll be like me soon enough."_**

**_Little Max shook her head, unwilling to believe what she was seeing.  What was happening?  Everything was crazy.  Max turned to run but found herself face-to-face with an adult Max wielding a gun.  A shot was fired and everything was black again._**

She rolled over almost seeking out warmth and comfort.  Little did she know, she found that in Alec, who slept in his own nightmare-filled sleep.  Alec's face showed the pain he was in as memories of Rachel came one right after the other. 

**_Alec sat at his grand piano, playing a little bit of ragtime.  Music was such a wonderful way to get lost, without another thought to reality.  He loved playing and there was no denying it.  He heard the door slam shut, so he stopped the tune he was playing.  He turned to face the entryway in a large house he didn't recognize, yet he did.  It was his.  _**

**_"Baby, is that you?"_**

**_She came into view, looking as beautiful as he had ever seen her.  Her hair was in curls, hiding her face._**

**_"It's me, Simon.  Or Alec.  Or 494.  Which do you like better?"_**

**_She never lifted her eyes to meet his.  For a moment, he was grateful.  If she looked at him, he would be lost in her blue eyes and he would never be able to explain things to her.  He'd probably be able to see the hurt and betrayal in them, as well, and he could bear to see it in her eyes._**

**_"I can explain.  I didn't mean to hurt you.  I never did.  I never meant to fall in love with you.  My assignment was easy.  Get in and get out.  That was the way it was supposed to be.  You made things so confusing for me.  I didn't know how to react.  You made me care, Baby."_**

**_"I made you care?  Do you think I care?  I don't.  I don't care if you love me.  I never did care about you.  I never will.  All you've ever done is mess things up for me."_**

**_Alec shook his head in denial, moving towards her reaching out.  He had to make her look at him.  He had to see her face, remind him why it was worth it to beg for her forgiveness.  He gripped her arms and forced her to lift her chin.  He jumped back at what he saw.  Max stared at him, her eyes full of hatred.  "You'll never change, Alec.  You'll always be a jerk, a killer, a scammer.  There will be no changing that.  How could I ever want you?"_**

Alec turned over in his sleep, reaching out.  Little did he know, he had found Max's sleeping form and pulled her close to him.  The two held each other tightly, something that would seem odd if their true relationship was known.  Or maybe their true relationship was being seen.

            Otto woke up to complete silence.  He still wasn't used to not hearing the sounds of the city.  They were in this small town where everyone knew everyone and no one was up before 7 except for the milkman and the paperboy.  He remained in bed for a moment after glancing at the clock.  It was 5:30.  He wanted to be out and on the road at six.  He imagined the two transgenics were already up.  He'd read that 452 didn't sleep much.  She might not have slept at all.  He smiled to himself.  She was fiery, 452 was.  Or Max.  He had to get used to calling them by their names.  White had never permitted the use of their aliases.  It was always their Manticore number.  White swore up and down the transgenics were just a bunch of animals, but Otto wondered if it wasn't White that was the animal.  He felt guilty for blackmailing Alec and Max.  He liked to think he wasn't a bad guy and blackmail gave him a black hat.  Of course, the end result was supposed to work out for the better.  Save the world from self-destructing.  That was a good cause, right?  He sighed.  He could just tell them why he was taking them to California.  About what he'd discovered when he had started that database assignment White had given him.  White had given him the reason to defect and hadn't even realized it.  But if they knew and thought the whole thing dumb, he would be back to square one as far as everything was concerned.  He would never hear the end of it and it may even be harder to get them to California if they knew why they were going.  They would think it was a trap and they could be right, but he doubted it.  He couldn't deal with their resistance.  He already had enough when he debated himself about going.  It would be best to just take them.  Otto started to get out of bed when he hear a loud thump followed by a loud,

"Good morning to you, too, Maxie!"

            Otto burst through the door, breaking the knob.  The thump did not sound promising since he was already weary of the transgenics trying for escape.  He found Alec sprawled out on the floor, a pillow not three inches away from his head.  He was glaring at Max who stood with her arms crossed.  The look on her face made Otto wonder what Alec had done exactly to incur the wrath.  Neither acknowledged him, though no doubt they were aware of his presence.

"Trying to feel me up during my sleep?  You're a pig, Alec."

"Yeah, that's right.  I was feeling you up while we were both asleep.  I had no idea I was even near you, Max.  If I had known, I would have cut my hands off."

"You aren't fooling me.  I know what you're up to, and it's not going to work."

"Well, you could clue me in on it, since I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.  I tried to respect the imaginary line, Max.   Besides, you were on my side of the bed."

"We were in the middle."

"So we met in the middle.  It's as much your fault as it was mine."

"You're so full of it, Alec."

"You just don't want to admit you liked it.  You wanted me to hold you and you got caught when I woke up this morning."  
"Whatever."  
"I'm right.  You don't even have a comeback for it!"

He finally stood up, a huge smirk on his face.  He looked like he was about to break into a childish dance to prove his point with a loud I told you so.  Max turned her back on him to face Otto, as if it were finally okay to say hello.  Maybe she just didn't want to hear Alec's view on the cuddling anymore.

"Why are you in here?"

"Your little lovers' quarrel was hard to miss.  But before it started, I heard a loud thump.  That could be construed as you trying to escape."

"Yeah, which would be followed by you shooting your gun at us or dialing up White to come pick us up.  It wouldn't work too well, Otto.  We know that.  Oh, and by the way, it wasn't a lovers' quarrel."

Alec shook his head, adding his own thoughts on the situation in. "No.  That was just a usual pleasant morning with Max Guevara.  I wake up, find her in my arms and the next thing I know she's tossed me out of the bed and onto the floor.  Apparently I invaded her personal bubble, not that I knew I was doing it.  And she so wanted me to do it, subconsciously."

That received a hard smack to the head.  He reached back and rubbed the area that had gotten the brunt of the injury and glared at Max.

"She's so abusive to me.  I almost wish you'd call White to pick her up."

"Shut up, Alec."

Otto observed them quietly.  The two were almost entertaining.  They bantered so well and to the casual observer, the sexual tension was thick.  They obviously liked each other despite the constant fights and occasional slaps.  The two were so like regular humans, Otto wondered why White was so biased against them.  They weren't outwardly cruel to others, only to each other.  They worked for a living.  They went to bars and hung out.  They talked and fought and had as much passion as humans did.  They were practically human.  They just had a few extra DNA strands of animals, but other than that they were human.  In fact, under other circumstances, Otto might have even been friends with them.  Well, maybe he would end up being friends with them after this whole thing was over.  He sighed loudly and glanced down at his watch.  6:03. He was already behind schedule, even if by a few minutes.

"Well, as delightful as your morning flirting sessions are, I wanted to be on the road three minutes ago.  So get your things together and take your showers or whatever.  We've got to get out of here before the rest of the town wakes up.  I don't want them snooping in our business."

He looked at both of them.  Alec wore a triumphant smile, as if by Otto saying morning flirting session, he had won the battle.  Max looked ticked off, as usual. 

"We weren't-"

"I don't want to hear it, Max.  Go.  Now."

She sighed and walked into the bathroom.

"Now don't take up all the hot water, Maxie.  Save some for me."

The door slammed shut with a resounding bang.  Alec offered Otto a charming smirk before turning to toss the pillows that had accosted him back on the bed.

            Otto had gone back to his room, so Alec had nothing to do but stare at the wall.  He was already dressed and ready, but he couldn't leave without Max.  He glanced down at his cell phone in his hands and began to will it to ring.  Even talking to Logan would be more entertaining than sitting there with nothing to do.  As if on cue, it began to beep.

"Yeah?"

"Alec, good, it's Logan.  Is Max around?"  
"Alec, good?  Like you thought someone else would answer my cellular phone?  Good thinking there."

"Alec, is Max there?'  
"She's taking a shower, trying to use up all the hot water because she thinks I'm going to take another one this morning."  
Silence reverberated from the other end.  Alec rolled his eyes, realizing he'd have to coax the reason why Logan called out of him.

"Why did you call, Logan?  You can tell me.  I'll let Max know."

"I really wanted to tell her."  
"Why?  So she'd tell you how grateful she is and how she'll forever be indebted to you?  I can do that."  Alec smiled to himself.  He loved messing with Logan.  He was so dry and boring and lacking in the sense of humor department.  He raised his voice to a high pitch, "Oh, Loggie, I don't know how I'll ever repay you for looking up information for me.  I think I'll have to give you a great big kiss when I get home.  Oh, wait, I don't want to kill you.  Well, don't worry.  I'll be your faithful Eyes Only guard dog forever and ever."

Alec resisted the urge to laugh at his own impersonation of Max.  Logan wasn't laughing, either, but for a completely different reason.  He was probably getting kind of angry with him.  Alec wondered for a moment if Logan wouldn't tell him the information just because of that impression.  Then again, he may tell Alec just to get off the phone.  There was complete silence, the only sound was Logan's breathing.  Alec refused to apologize.  Not just to make Logan talk.  He wasn't sorry for the way he saw Max and Logan's relationship.  It was true.  Max kept setting herself up to be hurt at the hands of an ordinary, Logan.  He used her and manipulated her everyday and Max didn't know how to deal with it.  Alec finally decided to just ask for the information again.

"What did you find on our good friend, Otto, Logan?'

Logan didn't answer immediately, so Alec asked again.

"Come on, Logan.  I don't have a lot of time here.  Otto will be back and I won't be able to talk to you.  What did you find?"

"His name is Duncan Otto.  He was born on April 7, 1987.  He has two sisters, Laina and Sora.  He has one brother, Wesley.  His father died when he was eight and his mother is still living.  He graduated in 2009, before the Pulse hit, from Washington State University, with a degree in foreign relations.  He was recruited in 2010 by the National Security Agency and has worked there ever since.  He was part of the special operation team formed to contain the transgenic threat in 2021, shortly after Max let you all out.  He was an original on the team.  They have been searching for quicker methods at finding and capturing transgenics.  They even look for easy ways of killing you and come up with new experiments to be performed on all of you.  He was listed rogue as of a month ago.  The NSA has been looking for him since, because he knows too much about the special ops team."

"So he really did go rogue?"

"Apparently, unless it's an elaborate setup.  They may have known that you would ask Eyes Only for help and planted all that I found, but I got most of it from trustworthy sources."

"Unless White strong-armed them."

"There is that chance."  
Alec took a deep breath as he allowed the information Logan had provided him with sink in.  He may need it to use it against Otto.

"Listen, man, I've got to get off before Otto comes back in.  It was great chatting with you, buddy.  Thanks for all the information."  
"Tell Max I said hi."  
"Oh, I will."

Alec snapped the phone shut and slipped in his pocket.  He wondered for a moment if he should tell Max about the phone call.  She could probably use the information too.  She wanted to know about Otto, it had been her idea to ask Logan.  She would probably be wondering when Logan would contact them with what he'd found.  In fact, she would probably be pretty anxious for the information.  Alec smiled to himself.  No.  No, he didn't think he would tell her. Not after he'd been tossed out of bed as a wake up call. 


	8. California

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Eight_**

**_California_**

            The trip seemed impossibly long to Max.  She had never expected her little 'vacation' to turn out like this.  She had figured things would be different, maybe even interesting, with Alec along, but being blackmailed and forced to drive down the coast hadn't seemed realistic.  Unfortunately, it was her reality.  She sighed loudly, her mind wandering to Logan.  Why hadn't he called her back?  He had said he would help them, but inside she wondered.  Logan was always about what he could do for others, as long as it served him, made him look like the good guy.  He would help people he didn't even know, but she wondered if he would help her.  There would be no great end result.  Just that she and Alec were free of this enigmatic NSA-no, ex-NSA- agent.  Maybe that wasn't enough for Logan to help.  Maybe he had more 'important' things to do.  He always seemed to think so.  There was always something more important than her, it seemed.  At first, that seemed normal to Max.  She'd never really been in a relationship, if what she had with Logan was even that.  She never really thought about how he was treating her until Alec had started pointing it out.  Max nearly smiled at the thought of Alec.  His arms were around her waist and he was humming some tune that she didn't recognize.  She wasn't sure if he were aware that she could hear him, after all with the roar of the engines, most people wouldn't be able to hear.  But she wasn't most people.  And he knew that too.  In fact, Alec understood it better than anyone, as much as she hated to admit it.  Alec was she a few years ago.  Except he was better adjusted to the world outside than she was.  And he'd only been in it for a year or so.  She envied that, his ability to adapt into any situation.  She had been able to lay low her whole life, not adapt.  She wondered if she had even tried.  She bit on her plump lower lip, sucking on it, wishing she could stop thinking about Alec.  He drove her crazy and he always messed everything up, but she could hardly imagine being without him.  Actually, she couldn't even remember being without him.  It was like he had always been there, by her side, with his roguish smile and knowing, taunting hazel eyes.  Max's eyes widened.  She was attached to Alec.  Maybe even more so than she had been with her brothers and sisters.  The thought terrified her, though Max would never ever admit to being scared.  She seemed suddenly hyperaware of Alec's arms encircling her, his breath hot on her neck.  She nearly swerved at the realization she had just made, but she managed to keep control.  She glanced behind her and realized that Otto's blinker was on.  She turned off to the right, in front of an abandoned warehouse.  They had entered California a few hours ago, but Otto hadn't seemed inclined to stop.  Now he wanted to stop at this warehouse.

Max shut off the motorcycle and slid off fluidly.  She pulled the helmet off and tilted her head slightly.

"Bring us here to kill us?"

"You're of no use to me dead."  Otto said calmly as he glanced around.  He had expected guards or maybe a little welcoming party.  The emptiness worried him.  Then again, maybe the Created were trying to hide.  Make the people outside think the warehouse was really abandoned.  They were doing an excellent job.  He slammed his car door to stop the constant ringing that grated on his nerves.  Otto glanced at Alec and Max to see if they sensed anything.  Alec looked alert as he cased the area.  It must be a transgenic thing.  They always seemed to do that, immediately look for ways out of there, even if they didn't intend to rush away.  Alec felt the hair on the back of his neck start to rise as discomfort set in.  He didn't like this situation.  It was twilight and everything seemed deserted, but he could hear breathing.  Someone was watching them.  Suddenly, from behind a large box, a man emerged.  Then another from behind a dumpster.  Next, a woman.  They all held fairly large guns.

"It's a trap, Otto.  One set for me and Max, or all three of us?"

Otto shook his head and began reciting the quote he'd heard from a book, _The Tender Vine_.  It was the motto of the Created.  "Of all iniquities and sins, judgment I despise."

The guns weren't lowered, but they seemed more inclined to listen to him.

"Who are you?'  
"Name's Otto.  I've come to join your organization.  I've brought along a couple of transgenics, actually two of the most famous.  452 and 494."

"I'm sure they have names."  The woman retorted, the anger showing through.

"They do.  It's Max and Alec.  But they're better known with their designations."

The woman seemed disgusted, but she lowered her gun, though she still seemed to be more on guard.  The other two didn't follow suit. 

"You can come inside and make the case to our advisory commission.  They'll decide whether you're real or not."

Max glared at the guns being pointed at her.  She still despised guns more than she could ever voice.

"I don't like the guns, lady, so please call them off."

"The name is Sora."

"Hmmm…okay, Sora, since we're gonna be best friends, call the guns off."  Max said, smiling mockingly.

"We will after we see the assembly."

"Alec and I could make them lower their guns."  
"Ah, I wouldn't suggest that, Max, is it?  See, they're transgenics too.  So, they're just as fast as you.  If not faster.  One's an X7.  You're, what, an X5?"

Max glanced at Alec, who in turn gave her that roguish grin she'd been thinking about earlier.

"Why don't we meet the assembly?  If they're anything like Sora here, it's going to be a barrel of monkeys."

"Only one."  Sora retorted as she led them trio inside, the guns following them.

            Max wanted to escape, but she knew there was no way she could leave Alec behind.  She didn't even know if it was likely, since she was surrounded by transgenics anyway.  She wondered what Otto was trying to do.  Taking her and Alec to a group of transgenic misfits?  And what was that stuff he spouted off about judgment?  They entered a large room where several people lounged, cleaning weapons and talking.  One was obviously the center of the entire thing, in charge of the organization.  The others respected him, it was obvious, though he seemed to pay no attention to it.  There was something vaguely familiar about him, but Max couldn't place it.  The man looked up and locked eyes with her.  His eyes were a warm watery blue and she knew them instantly.  Her mouth formed a delighted smile, which didn't go unnoticed by Alec.

"What-?

"Maxie?!  Ben?!  Is it really you?"  
"Great.  Another member of the Psycho Clone Fan Club."  
Max glared at Alec, but her feelings weren't really into the glare.  She was too happy to even have Alec's usual annoyingness hit her radar.

"Zane."  
"Zane, like older brother Zane?  One of the rugrats that escaped in '09?"

Max nodded dumbly as Zane rushed to her and enfolded her in a brotherly hug.  He had her picked up and spinning around the room, as if he didn't care about what the others thought of the emotion.  He put her down gently and turned to Alec.

"Ben!  I thought you had died.  Zack had mentioned something about-"

"I'm not Ben.  I'm Alec.  Ben was my clone."

The disappointment showed on Zane's face.  He couldn't hide it.  He had hoped to find his brother and his sister.  Zack was right. Ben was dead.  The loss hit Zane. He'd always liked Ben and his stories.  He had been the one who could uplift their spirits when everyone was so melancholy.  Max put her hand on Zane's shoulder, feeling the disappointment.  She understood it.  She felt it everyday.  She could separate Alec and Ben completely.  They were two different personalities, even if they looked exactly the same.  But some days, that didn't matter.  Somedays all she would see was the face of her brother, the man she had killed.

"You'll get used to it, Zane.  Alec, he's, well-he's not Ben.  You'll be able to pick up on it right away."  
"I hope you mean that as a compliment, Maxie."  
"Less talking, Alec."

"I've hardly said two words."

"You just said many more than that."

Alec rolled his eyes and smirked knowingly at Max.  Zane watched the two of them carefully before smiling.

"Hey, Zane, buddy, can you call off your guns?  I have a thing against having them pointed at me and Maxie here hates them anyway."

Zane noted the familiarity between the two and waved the guns off.  He hadn't even thought about it, the shock of seeing his long lost sister hitting him.  He glanced around the room and realized that everyone, every member of the Created was watching him.  Sora stood off to the side, eyeing them.  It had taken him a long time to gain the blond haired transgenic's trust.  She didn't think they should trust an escapee, but he had finally won her over.  And he was glad he had.  He smiled at Sora.

"This is Max, Sora.  She's one of my youngest sisters."

"Another escapee?  Soon they'll be taking this whole thing over."

"You sound a bit bitter about the escapees, Sora."  Alec commented.

"They betrayed us and we had to bear the brunt of it."

"Are you a clone of one of the escapees?"

"No."

"Then you can't be bitter about it."  Alec replied quietly.  He felt eyes on him and knew it was Max's.  She didn't really know what had happened to him.  Not really.  She knew he'd been in Psyche-Ops, but she didn't know what went on there.  She could never really understand it.  He glanced over at her and saw her sympathetic smile.  Max was being sympathetic?  That freaked him out a little.

"Anyway, what kind of operation you got going here, Zaney?"

"Don't call me that again, Alec-y."

"Doesn't work with my name."  
"Doesn't work with my name, either."

Max stood between the two calmly as the alpha-male battle began. 

"Really.  Why did Otto bring us here?  What are you guys?"

"I can't answer for Otto." Zane scanned the unfamiliar man for any signs of betrayal, but saw none.

"We're the Created.  Shortly after you burned Manticore down, this group expanded.  It started out with a small group of a breeding cult rejects.  Actually, it was more like they rejected the breeding cult and formed this small group that was protesting the goals of the cult.  It was ignored by the world, but slowly, transgenics started to pick up on it.  We started to file in.  I was one of the first, because I was already living in California, near these headquarters.  Together, we're trying to fight the breeding cult and it's insane prophecies and all that.  We're a small group and most people don't listen to what we have to say.  We've been speaking out against several prominent people, but we don't want to assassinate them.  We'd be considered terrorists then, which we're not."  
"You've been speaking out against people like Ames White and Senator McKinley."

Everyone in the room turned to Otto, who had not said a word since entering the room.  He shrugged and stepped forward.

"That's how I found you.  I was scanning through some transgenic databases, about radicals we should be fighting and such and yours came up.  I don't know if White realized he was on your list or not.  But I started thinking about what you said.  The breeding cult and all the abilities members would be able to show.  And you talked about their extraordinary hate of transgenics and I realized White showed all these qualities.  I thought maybe you were telling the truth.  So I came here.  But I brought these two with me.  I wanted you to know I was on your side.  I didn't turn them into White because I believe in your cause, not White's."

Zane walked towards Otto, his eyes watching him with unhidden curiosity.

"You're an Ordinary."  
"Yes, I am."

"Not a cult member or a transgenic."

"Yes."  
"Why do you want to become involved?'  
"Because I don't think White is right in his head.  I don't think he should be in charge of the unit.  Because I think that the transgenics deserve fair treatment and that if our government is infiltrated by a bunch of insane cult members, it needs to be stopped."

Zane nodded, then clasped his hand. 

"We'll take anyone for our cause.  Welcome to the Created."  
Otto smiled, then looked at Zane.  "Why is it called the Created?"

Max nodded in agreement for that question and even Alec seemed interested.

"We were all created out of unordinary means, the ex-cult members and the transgenics.  We were created in test tubes.  The cult members were created through the elaborate breeding rituals.  So we are the Created."

Otto nodded.  "And now so am I."  
"So are you.  Max, Alec, are you in?"

"Of course I am.  I'm with you, Zane.  I'll help anyway I can.  Except I won't use guns."

"I won't force you too.  Alec?"

"Eh, I caught a ride with her.  So if she stays, I stay."

"Well, I'm glad your heart is in it."

Alec chuckled at Zane's wry humor.  He just might like this guy.


	9. History

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Nine_**

**_History_**

****

            Zane held back in the shadows of the old warehouse to observe Max and Alec together.  Since the little impromptu meeting had split up, the members of The Created had done the same.  Otto, the Ordinary that had brought Max and Alec in, was talking quietly with two of the ex-breeding cult members Gage and Riley.  He was probably asking them more about the breeding cult.  That concept was a little hard to get used to, particularly for a regular human.  Max and Alec had separated from all the others, almost as if in a protective action.  They were obviously comfortable with each other.  And if he wasn't mistaken, he got a very obvious protective vibe from Alec when it came to Max.  The way he stood in front of her when they'd met the others showed that.  But Max seemed oblivious to the way Alec did feel.  That was his baby sister.  Max slapped Alec's arm and he held his hands up in mocking surrender.  Her eyes narrowed and she looked like she was ready to tackle Alec, and from the look on Alec's face, he knew that too.  He walked over to them with a charming smile, his blue eyes sparkling. 

"Hey, Max, can I borrow you for a minute?  I'd really love to talk to you, catch up on the last several years."

Max seemed almost regretful that her little chat with Alec was going to end, but she nodded.   
"Yeah, Zane, I've missed you."  
"Me, too, Little Max." 

He smiled at Alec who returned it thankfully.  Zane slung his arm around Max and walked her on to the corner of the room where a couch sat.

            "So tell me about your life, Max.  What have you been doing since we ran away?"

Max tucked a long strand of black hair behind her ear and pulled her knees up, folding them underneath her.  For a moment, she looked incredibly young.  Zane realized that she was young.  She was probably 20, 21.  He knew he was around 30, he felt so much older than Max.  But Max looked like her life had been rough since escaping Manticore. 

"Well, I stayed with a woman named Hannah that night and then I ran.  I stayed with a family for a few more months, but when the Pulse hit, I ran again.  I roamed around the country for a while and then I sort of settled down in Seattle.  I didn't mean to settle there, but-"

"You finally had a reason to stay?"

"Yeah.  I guess that's it.  I had some friends and then I met Logan."  
"Logan.  Zack mentioned him a couple of times when he checked in.  I didn't get the impression Zack liked him very much."  
"Oh, Zack hated him.  Alec doesn't like him much, either, actually.  But I-I like him."  
"He's the reason you stayed in Seattle?"

"Yeah.  I had a job as a messenger; well, I still am a messenger.  Alec is too."  
"How did you meet Alec?"  Zane questioned, taking the topic off Logan.  He didn't want to hear anymore about that guy.  He was under the impression Max was uncomfortable discussing him, as if she didn't know what he was to her exactly.  He wondered if maybe Max was questioning her feelings for Logan.  Besides, Zack didn't like him.  And apparently Alec didn't like him, so he probably wouldn't like him, either.

"Alec was my breeding partner.  I got taken back to Manticore when we destroyed the genetics department.  Zack gave me his heart, then.  Anyway, about three months after I was taken back, I was given a breeding partner, Alec.  That was the new plan since the genetics lab was no longer usable."

"Breeding partners.  That's disgusting."  
"I know.  Well, I was trying to escape and Alec let me.  He even 'helped' me.  But it turned out they wanted him to follow me to Logan.  He infected Logan with this awful virus that meant we couldn't touch each other.  After that, I went back and set fire to Manticore.  I let everyone out and then here we are."

"I have the feeling there's more to it than that."  
"There is, but I don't feel like talking about it."  
"Alec stuck around after infecting Logan with the virus."

"Yeah, eventually.  He tried to leave, but he ended up having to come back to save me.  And it just kept happening, us watching out for each other.  I hate to admit it, but Alec can be helpful sometimes."

"Does it kill you having him around?  He looks so much like Ben.  I can't believe how much he looks like Ben."  
"He is a clone."

"Yeah.  I know.  Do we have clones?"

"I guess we do.  Alec said they were taken into Psyche-Ops after we escaped, all the clones of us."

"Tough break for them."  
"Yeah.  You know, Alec is nothing like Ben.  Ben was so lost, so confused and in so much pain.  Alec is so confident and self-involved."  
"Are you sure he's self-involved, Maxie?"

Max glared at him and Zane felt the wrath of Max that Alec typically felt.  Apparently saying good things about Alec was against the rules.

"Sorry.  Sorry.  I don't know him and you do."

Max had the feeling Zane was just placating her, but she didn't fight it.  She laid back on the couch, propping her feet up on the armrest.  Zane watched her from his seat on the table, still trying to get used to seeing his little sister again.  She had grown up so much. Not just her features, but her personality, also.  When they were kids, she had seemed so innocent and naïve, even after what they were forced to do.  She didn't seem that way anymore.

"It's okay, Zane.  Tell me about you.  What happened to you after we left?"

Zane shifted uncomfortably at the sudden turn in conversation.  He wasn't big on talking about himself.  In fact, he pretty much avoided it at all costs.

"Oh, nothing really.  Made it to California, got a job, and a dog named Fluffy."

"A dog.  Doesn't that conflict with your cat DNA a bit?"

"I ignore the cat part of my DNA.  Besides, not all cats hate dogs."

"I can't believe we're even having this conversation.  I guess it was a pretty creative way to get the focus off you, though, Zane."

Zane smiled boyishly and pulled Max into a random hug.

"I've missed you, Little Sister."

"I've missed you, too, Zane."

She buried her head into the crook of his neck.  She could smell the dog scent on him, along with some kind of pine scent.  She liked it.

"Now go back to your boyfriend, Maxie.  He's looking pretty bored."

Max didn't even respond to the boyfriend comment, but turned to look at Alec.  He was staring into space, brooding.  He was probably thinking about Rachel.   
"He's been through a lot, you know.  He likes to act like everything rolls off him, but I wonder sometimes."

Zane was surprised at the affection that sounded in Max's voice.  He had expected a sharp punch for calling Alec her boyfriend, but instead she seemed almost worried about him. 

"He was at Manticore longer than us.  I imagine that did wonders for his psyche."

"Yeah.  You're probably right."

Max pulled herself off the couch and smiled half-heartedly at Zane.  He nodded understandingly as she walked back to her spot next to Alec.

            Otto sat in the center of two ex-breeding cult members.  Their names were Riley and Gage.  Gage said he was 22 and Riley was closer to his own age.  Riley said she was almost 31.  He was fascinated but what they were describing to him.  He had asked about the breeding cults ways to satisfy his own unending curiosity.  He wanted to know about White's background and why he was as maniacal as he was.  Both seemed reluctant to tell him, but they finally gave in.  He figured it was because he planned to help them fight.  Riley told most of the story.  Maybe she was the one that had brought Gage in on the Created.  He didn't know.

"There's a ritual performed when the third child comes of age, a blood ritual.  They are painted in the traditional paint and then a priest or priestess imprints him with the poisonous blood of a snake, leaving the emblem of the breeding cult on their forearm."

Gage rolled his shirtsleeve up as Riley finished that sentence and showed him the symbol they spoke of.

"If the child lives, then it is fit to live in this world and play a part in the Coming.  If the child gets sick and dies, then it wasn't worthy to live because it was weak."

"So you both survived."

"Yeah.  I did."

Gage pulled at his sleeve. "I barely did.  I was almost gone, but I pulled through at the last minute."

"Fascinating."  
"It isn't when your little and you feel like your dying."  Riley said sardonically.

"Anyway, each of us was created for a reason, for an assignment.  I was supposed to infiltrate part of Manticore to spy on them for the cult. Gage was my partner there.  When Manticore was burned down, we ran and we ended up in The Created with some of the others that ran from the breeding cult.  Some that didn't want to pass the test, " Riley glanced at a young boy who couldn't be more than 14.  "Some didn't want to do their missions.  And some were taken before the test was complete and given antidotes to counteract the poison.  We joined up with the transgenics to fight the infiltration of the government and the bigotry the transgenics are starting to face.  We fear it will only get worse as the year wears on."

Otto leaned towards Riley and Gage and whispered, not wanting to alert the others of his questions about White.

"Do you both know an Ames White?"

Riley glared at him sharply and Gage whipped his head around to stare at him in the eyes.

"Why do you ask, Mr. Otto?" Gage questioned cautiously.

"It's just Otto.  And I ask because I used to work for him.  At the NSA.  I left after noticing your database about the Created.  I saw what you said about Ames White and I think you were right."

"We are."  Riley conceded.  "Ames White used to be Ames Sandeman."  
"Sandeman.  The founder of Manticore?  White is the founder of Manticore?"

Riley half-smiled.  "You know your history of Manticore.  And no, it was White's father.  They probably drilled it in you.  Rogue Geneticist formed the facility, not the government.  Sandeman was working for the government.  After he broke away from the breeding cult."  
"Sandeman was part of the cult?'  
"He decided he would make better humans without all the ritual we had.  And he didn't like the life or death reasoning the cult had.  White was left behind to deal with the shame of a rogue father, but he proved himself.  I don't know how and I don't want to know.  But that's how he got such a high position.  Being in charge of a National Security Agency Unit is a big deal.  Only top cult members are given such clearance to work on jobs such as that.  Senator McKinley, Congresswoman McCabe, Governor Janison.  They're all much higher in the breeding cult than Gage and I ever was. We don't know the specifics of how they got those positions, being able to run for such things, but they had to go through some other ritual to prove themselves worthy.  I never had to do that for my assignment."  
"Neither did I."  Gage offered.

"This is almost surreal, you know?  Genetically engineered superhumans, selective breeding, infiltration of government positions and a terrorist group to bring them down."

"We aren't a terrorist group.  We're the only ones who know the truth and we have to fight for what we know."  Riley was suddenly very passionate.  Her cheeks colored pink, her brown eyes sparkled, her brown hair falling into her face.  Otto could see that the selective breeding thing had worked well on her. 

"I'm sorry. That's what the NSA was classifying you as.  A terrorist group.  I just got used to thinking that in my head.  But I know you're not.  That's why I wanted to join.  I believe in the truth you guys are speaking.  It's too ridiculous not to be true."

Gage laughed abruptly and Riley joined in.  Otto realized how funny it really was.  He smiled and settled down in the chair he was sitting in.  He finally felt like he fit in here, even though he wasn't part of a cult or genetically engineered.  He was surrounded by people who thought and felt the same way he did.  And he liked that.


	10. Xandy

**_Break_**

**_Chapter Ten_**

**_Xandy_**

The door flew open to announce Xandy's entrance. Tall, slender, genetically perfect and beautiful, she had a presence that absolutely could not be denied. Zane never had, at least. She wore all black, not gothic at all, simply unconcerned by fashion. She had her auburn hair slicked back in a ponytail, a sure sign to all that she had been out on recon for the next mission. She scanned the room, aware of the new additions to the group scattered about. She hesitated, not sure whether she should talk about what she'd just discovered. People couldn't always be trusted, in fact, they usually couldn't, and she wasn't about to tell some uncleared civilians hear what would be going down. Talking now could endanger their only leverage they had against the breeding cult.

Trying to calm herself, she glanced towards Zane, who usually sent her a sort of calm. She saw Zane watching the girl with brown hair with an odd look on his face. She glared at him without even realizing it. The ass was such a playboy. Probably ecstatic that there was a new girl he could make googly eyes at, plus it was a whole new way that she could ignore her. This is what she got for having feelings for a traitor. Manticore had been right about the '09 escapees. She looked away from him as soon as Zane noticed her watching him. She refused to flush under his gaze, though he seemed to be burning a hole into her with a knowing look. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know that he got to her. She was a soldier. She was better than that. He was so-so infuriating. Xandy quit trying and spoke curtly, "Who're the newbies, Zane? New buddies of yours? Thought we'd have a party before we went on our mission?"

Zane rolled his eyes before nodding to the two grouped by the window.

"That's Alec and my sister, Max, and that is Otto over there. He's an Ordinary, but he had a relationship with one Ames White."

Xandy stared at Zane incredulously. He was so sure of these three people, no suspicions whatsoever. That could get the Created killed. Well, she was not going to blindly trust a bunch of walk-ins; especially when two had the tendency to desert.

"Great. Another traitor. Forget The Created. We could be called the Betrayers instead."

"Sounds like a bad band, Xandy. You've got so much hostility towards us. We didn't do anything wrong, did we, Maxie?"

"We escaped, Zane. They were killing our unit off one by one, and we would have been next. We couldn't stay at Manticore."

"Or you could have been trained like the rest of us, 452. How did the rest of us manage to survive if they were going to kill you all?"

"My name's Max now, Xandy, was it?"

"Whatever. I don't really care what you go by now. You are not involved in this mission. It's me, Zane, Gage, and Riley."

"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have some extra hands around here. We don't have to help you on this specific mission."

Max was being surprisingly calm about Xandy attacking her and the memory of her siblings. She hardly let Alec speak against them and he'd really been the one affected by the escape of '09. The others had just been affected by the tightened security. Alec had been experimented on because of it. Alec was shocked by Max's reaction to the women, but he knew it was only a matter of time before Max went psycho on her fellow transgenic.

"Actually, we don't…"

Zane cut Xandy off at don't, knowing how stubborn the girl was. It had taken him months to get Xandy to remotely trust him and at times, he wondered if it had more to do with his charming smile than it did with his honorable personality. Whatever the reason, he didn't know how long it would take for Xandy to believe in his baby sister. Manticore soldiers weren't really bred to trust others unless they'd proven themselves to earn it. Max already had a black mark against her in Xandy's book. Soldiers should only trust their unit, and that trust was to be minimal, which in a way, the Created was a unit, but it was a makeshift one. There was no telling if someone would stab them in the back especially if it came down to life or death. Especially if all of the escapees joined. They didn't have a bit of loyalty in them, as far as Xandy was concerned.

"Of course we can use your help, Maxie. The more of us there are, the more likely it is we'll survive and win this war. That's what we're working towards, Xandy, remember?"

Max nodded, satisfied, the only person she needed to hear anything from had told her what she had wanted to hear. She turned her attention back on Xandy and waited for her to fill them in on the details of the mission. Xandy grudgingly began to outline the details cautiously so they would all be prepared for the break in.

Alec crept around the side of the building, no one left in his direct eyeline. He took that as a good sign that everyone was in their places. He glanced at his digital watch and waited anxiously for a few moments. One thing that being a transgenic did not fix was the anxiety that came along with going on a mission. He knew he would achieve the goal; that had never really been his worry. He just hated waiting for the instant he could pounce on whatever it was he was supposed to do. He just wanted to get it done so he could play afterwards.

He looked back down at his watch and saw the time had come. He scaled the building easily and hopped over the ledge onto the roof. He saw the sky light located just slightly to the right of where he was then. For once, he was going to be the one to make the big entrance through the window, not Max. Of course, that was because Zane and Max had wanted to tag team this. Alec had almost wanted to laugh at the flash of anger in Xandy's eyes when they'd decided it and Alec couldn't blame her. He'd felt the same anger. He and Max had been a team for the last year, even if it was a reluctant one. He wasn't extremely happy at the prospect of Zane waltzing in and taking his place in her life. But he had to accept that Max needed to be with her brother. It's not like they would have been having hot, monkey sex while waiting to go into the warehouse, anyway. Max still more or less hated him, though she did occasionally seem to be warming up to him. All he was really missing by being on this detail was Max slapping him upside the head and telling him shut up. Alec walked to the sky light while trying to get his mind back on the mission, not on Max. It would do him no good to think about Max. It never had gotten him anywhere. And they were probably waiting on him now. He took a breath and jumped through the light, oblivious to any kind of cut that sliced into his skin as he broke through the glass.

The Familiars had been caught off guard. That much was obvious when the members burst into the room from the windows and doors in the warehouse. Xandy had found the room where the package was being held, so they didn't even have to search the large warehouse room by room. Two men jumped to their feet, falling into a fighting stance. Three more came from other corners of the room and the transgenics prepared themselves. Otto hid beside the door, waiting for his moment to slide in between what the others had called Familiars. Zane had decided that he should be the one to retrieve the package. He didn't stand a chance in a fight against a Familiar, so he was the one to slip in and out while the other members of The Created took care of the 'guards'.

Alec found himself being attacked by one particular male. He was considerably taller than Alec, probably considered an asset to the breeding cult due to his height and strength. Alec ducked a punch just as the fist came at him and he raised his knee in connection to the man's groin. That, of course, didn't faze the Familiar. Alec groaned as he saw that the man felt no pain. What kind of man was he not to feel pain there after being kicked? He continued to battle on, fists flying and knees snapping out into some kind of dangerous dance. The entire room had erupted into violence, each transgenic putting their all into the battle at hand, despite the fact that every blow seemed to do no more difference than a gnat flying around a person's ear. Even though each transgenic was getting beaten, the Familiars were still distracted enough to give Otto the chance to slip in.

Otto went straight for the lockbox in the back of the room. It was on top the table and that was obviously what The Created wanted. What else could they have wished for? A lockbox almost guaranteed information that The Created could use. To be honest, it disappointed Otto a bit. He'd apparently overestimated his boss and his buddies, because if they were stupid enough to leave all their papers in this box, they were hardly the archnemesis he'd believed. Truthfully, though, Otto figured they would be lucky if one piece of paper proved that the cult existed. He knew he was just being overly-optimistic when he thought that the entirety of the cult's important belongings was in it. He lifted the box by the handle and turned to leave when he saw her.

He'd seen her pictures before. On a desk, once a little while ago. He'd been so shocked to see any kind of family pictures on the desk that he had actually had the nerve to ask him about her. He'd been proud to tell Otto about her, his wife, the mother of his child. He'd almost seemed human when he'd spoken of her. Otto had never met Wendy White. Ames White wasn't' the type to have his colleagues over for dinner. But he had appreciated that there was someone out there that could actually, just maybe, touch a soft spot in his boss' heart. What was she doing here? Tied to a chair.

Otto looked around the room to ensure that all the Familiars were still occupied. The transgenics appeared to be holding their own, but Otto couldn't be sure. They were getting beaten fairly badly and the Familiars showed no signs of tiring. He thought he would have just enough time to get to Wendy and get her out of here. He knew that wasn't the point of this task, but he couldn't just leave this poor woman behind. She probably had had no idea who her husband was and when she'd found out, she had ended up here. He hurried to the chair and untied her gag.

"Please help me. They took my son and then my husband; he let them take me away, too. He's one of them. He's some kind of freak."

"Yes, Mrs. White, I know."

"How do you know my name?" Panic flashed across her face as she started to struggle against her chair. "You're one of them, too!" She said it accusingly, but the fear was there behind her eyes. Otto felt instantly guilty for making her even more upset.

"No, m'am, I'm not. I worked for your husband at the National Security Agency, where I saw your picture on the desk. I just knew who you were. I defected from the NSA not too long ago to fight against your husband and the breeding cult."

"The what?"

"There's no time to explain here. We have to get you out of here before the Familiars notice what we're doing."

Otto quickly worked at the knots that kept her hands tied behind her back. She sighed in relief when the ropes fell away. She waited for the ropes around her feet to loose before she jumped to her feet. Otto kept an iron grip on the lockbox and reached out his other hand for Wendy. She took it hesitantly. They ran off through the door, making their way out of the warehouse.

Max had kept her eye out for Otto, while she was fighting the Familiar. Usually she could fight without a bit of concentration and win, but this was a Familiar. She tried to divide her attention though, and she saw him leave the warehouse. What surprised her was that a woman was with him. What if she was a plant? She could be a Familiar pretending to be a hostage to infiltrate the Created. She knew that Xandy would not be happy with Otto's decision to change the objective.

She whistled the signal that allowed the other transgenics to know that Otto was out and hopefully safe. He would take the box…and the woman…to the assigned location, but they had to get out alive now. She was sick of beating fruitlessly on the Familiar in front of her, and she imagined the others felt the same. Xandy and Zane had gotten one down, and another Riley had knocked down another one. Both were still alive, but they were unconscious. Max wanted to kill them, she wanted to get rid of them, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She always tried to avoid killing people. She wondered if the others had the same problem.

As if in answer, Xandy snapped one man's neck before moving over to Riley's, who had done the same. Max cringed, her mind flying back to the day she'd killed Ben just like that. Gage ran to help Alec out with the Familiar attacking him, so Max was left punching the one in front of her. With one last snap kick to the face, the man went down. Xandy shouted for Max to kill him, but she couldn't. She was not a killer. She couldn't become a killer. That was letting Manticore win.

She stood frozen above the man, her eyes staring straight ahead. She could hear Xandy admonishing her for not doing as she was ordered, but she could only remember snapping Ben's neck in the woods. She stared helplessly at Zane, who instantly saw that something was wrong. He was ready to go take care of it, when Alec's was at last floored.

"Let's just get out of here, Zane. We need to go meet Otto and make sure we got what we came for."

"Okay, Maxie. Let's go."

"Zane, we cannot leave any witnesses behind. You know that. It's not the way. These are Familiars. They'll come back after us if we don't take care of this."

"Just drop it, Xandy. We've got to get to Otto. Max is right."

"Of course you'd take her side. She's your angel, right? Little Maxie.'

"We don't have time for this. We're leaving."

Xandy wanted to fight it, but she knew this was going to be futile. Everyone seems to want to cater to everything little Max Guevera wanted. Well, that wasn't going to last for long. She was going to end this. But for now, she would go along with what Zane had said. The transgenics fled the warehouse, quite a bit worse for wear, but leaving only two still alive.


	11. Threatened

_Break_

_Chapter Eleven_

_Threatened_

The transgenics rushed into their home base to find Otto sitting in the corner with the young woman Max had seen him disappear with. Anger boiled inside each of those that had been on the mission, because as far as they could tell, Otto had put them all in danger by bringing this woman to their headquarters. Some, like Xandy, couldn't help but blame the newcomers for this threat, after all, the Created never would have trusted an Ordinary if it weren't for the traitor and her lapdog. And Zane, who insisted that the Created trust 452. However, it was too late to change the fact that the human had endangered them by bringing a possible plant inside the Created, but it was not too late to take more preventative measures. Xandy was the first one to charge forward, her hands flashing in front of her as she jerked Otto away from the woman and pushed him against the wall. Gage made his own way to the woman, holding her arms behind her back, keeping her unable to move. She yelped as a slight pain ripped through her shoulders, and her eyes widened in a curious gaze as she saw Otto's predicament.

"I thought you said we would be safe from him. You lied to me!"

"It's okay, Mrs. White…" Otto tried to comfort, intending to say more than he was allowed. Xandy cut him off before he even had the chance to complete his thought.

"You brought Ames White's wife into our headquarters. Are you insane!" Xandy pushed Otto against the wall once more, knocking his head against the side. She had half a mind to snap his neck on the spot for betraying the Created like that. Before Xandy realized what was happening, Max was trying to pull her off of the Ordinary while Alec tried to get Gage to relax his grip on the woman, presumably Wendy White. Xandy threw her arm back, elbowing Max in the jaw.

"Get the hell off me." Xandy growled dangerously. If she didn't have a hold of one traitor, she would be strangling the other. How dare Max try to stop her from interrogating the human. Xandy's eyes were glittering in anger, a look Zane recognized immediately from where he stood.

"Maxie, it's not a good idea to interfere with Xandy when she's got her mind set to do something. You know as well as I do that Otto shouldn't have brought this woman here…especially here."

Xandy was almost as shocked as Max was to here Zane take her side. Zane seemed to think Max could do no wrong, and if Max deemed anything to be true or important, Zane would follow her every whim. Probably because they were both traitors. However, Xandy was pleased with the development that maybe Zane still had a bit of sanity left in him, even with his precious Max around.

Max whirled to look at Zane, surprised that it was he who protested her stopping Xandy's mistreatment of Otto. She would have expected it from any of the others, but not Zane. How could he betray her like that? They were a team; they had been since they were children. Sure, they had been separated for the last years, but they were still family.

"She's over-reacting. She doesn't need to be hurting Otto over bringing Wendy White here. Logan told me she'd been missing for several days, shortly after her son had been abducted. The third, by the way, of Ames White. Where do you think he was taken? Why do you think she was taken?"

Zane shook his head, not truly listening to what Max was saying. "Who cares what your Ordinary said. Zack told me all about your buddy, Logan, how he used you and made you think you were human, instead of embracing who you are. And how do you know this is actually Wendy White, just because some Ordinary says so. I know that you trust Otto, for some reason, or are at least willing to listen to him, even though I'm still not sure how I understand how you three came to be connected. I'm not going to trust him. He has no proof that this is Wendy White, or that she is ultimately good, even if she is."

Xandy knew now was the time to add in her two cents. "Honestly, Max, Otto endangered this entire organization by bringing this woman here. She could be waiting, spying on us, ready to turn us in at any moment. We have to be cautious, because if we're not, we could all end up DEAD. I'm not willing to take my chances on this, just because a human claims she's someone who is good."

Wendy finally spoke up, tentatively, "I am Wendy White. I'm…human, since you all seem to be throwing that word around a lot. I was married to Ames White. I am married to him. But he kidnapped my son and took me from my family and threatened to kill me. Obviously, I'm a horrible judge of character. But I'm not here to betray you…or your organization, whatever it is."

Her speech did nothing to ease the tension in the warehouse. More Created had become interested in the scene that was happening in the corner of the warehouse. They had seen Otto return with the new woman, but since Otto had been cleared by the higher ups in their organization, they assumed the woman had been too. Obviously they had been wrong, and more than a few feared the wrath of Xandy when she was done torturing Otto and the woman. Still, the fear didn't stop them from crowding around the small group to find out what was happening.

Xandy didn't ease her grip on Otto, but it was obvious that Gage was considering what Wendy had just said. Along with what Max had offered as far as information about Wendy's background went. Sure, her information came from the ordinary that Zack had warned them against not too long ago, but still, he was starting to wonder if they had misjudged the poor woman. He could sense her terror at being held captive…again, possibly, and he understood the terror. He'd been locked up himself for not being able to withstand some of the breeding cult's tests. He didn't want to hurt this woman if she wasn't there to hurt them.

"Maybe there's some truth to what they're saying, Xandy. You know she's terrified. If she was a plant, she wouldn't be as scared. You know she's not acting it, either, you can actually smell the fear, can't you?"

Xandy hated to admit that Gage was right. She could smell the fear, a perk that her animal DNA offered her. She was almost 99 sure that a human couldn't fabricate the scent that boiled deep inside of them. She would be able to sense some sort of calm if she was a plant. Still, she didn't want to admit that she might be wrong. Especially when Zane had practically sided with her.

"How do you know that this isn't some elaborate lie between Otto and White? I mean, sure, it's possible this woman isn't a plant, but Otto could be. He just happened to find White's estranged wife when we broke into this warehouse. It's sort of coincidental."

Max continued forward, ignoring Zane's warning at interfering with Xandy when she was as stubborn like she was now. Alec understood the look on her face and he almost pitied Xandy. He understood the way Xandy felt, the distrust. He had felt it before too. The distrust was breeded in Manticore. He knew there was nothing that could stop the confrontation that was about to happen, though.

"We don't know if it's a plan between Otto and White, but Wendy is not in on it. And it's too late to do anything about it if Otto isn't trustworthy. You have no proof that he's gone against us, though, or is working against us, so unless you want the animal to take over you, let them both go and let us talk about this rationally. Hurting Wendy and Otto isn't going to help the situation. White would already be here storming the warehouse if he knew where we were. You know he's not the type to just sit around and wait for us to come to him."

Xandy let go of Otto angrily, not at all happy with having to follow what Max said. She knew that Max was right, but admitting it was a whole other game. She didn't want the traitor to get the wrong idea. Xandy was in charge of this outfit, in charge of The Created. This was her organization and she wasn't going to let Max come in and destroy everything that she had worked towards.

"We will be leaving them both out of any kind of planning we do from now on. They will be guarded, but still allowed to move around freely. We will not let them know what our missions are; they will only follow us where we decide to go. Is this understood?"

Gage released Wendy as soon as Xandy said this, not wishing to prolong the woman's suffering anymore. She collapsed onto the torn couch not too far from where she had been held up. Otto joined her immediately, worried about her state of mind after being held by the breeding cult then by the Created. He had always believed in what the Created stood for, until he had just been held hostage by him and seen this woman slightly mishandled at the smallest suspicion. Maybe the Created wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and he almost felt guilty for bringing Wendy back to the warehouse. He had thought they would protect her, but he might just be wrong about that.

Xandy quickly assigned two Created to watch the Ordinaries, and then motioned for Zane, Riley, Sora, Max, Alec and a couple others to join her on the other side of the warehouse. They had some specifics to discuss about the next mission, as well as the lockbox at Otto's feet to go through. There was much to be done and not nearly enough time to get through it. McKinley would be running for President soon, the elections were coming up. And they had to stop McKinley from being put into office.

The tension remained high as the Created separated into their assigned groups. Xandy was still amazed that Zane had taken her side, amazed that most of them had at first. Of course, reason set in shortly after, but she was still proud that Zane had taken a step to support her instead of Max. Max, on the other hand, found Zane's support of Xandy to be some sort of betrayal and could do nothing but glare at her brother. Alec had smartly remained out of the mix, though he clearly had his own thoughts on the matter, and Gage and Riley had been just as supportive of Xandy as Zane had been. These were the head of the Created, Gage, Riley, Zane and Xandy, and Max was quickly trying to become one as well. It was up to them to decide the Created's next move, and this little meeting would be the one to decide it. But first, the transgenics needed to calm down after the heat of the last situation, and they needed to ready themselves for a normal conversation.

Xandy was obviously the one who would pitch her next plan, give the specifics of the next mission. Everyone took their seats, while Xandy paced nervously in front of them. Her next plan was a big one, something that would truly hurt the Breeding Cult if it all went of without a hitch. However, this was going to be a big risk, a huge risk, for all involved. She would do it, though. She had to.

"We're going to Seattle."

Already, the group was in an uproar at the concept of doing this. Max had run away from Seattle for a break, as had Alec, and they were not going to return with a whole new group of transgenics…and Familiars.

"No, before you say anything, I'm going to explain it all. Listen, we didn't have any place we could have a base of operations, but now that Max and Alec are conveniently on our side, we can have one. You have places we could stay, don't you?"

Max hesitated immediately, but Alec was ready to help immediately. "Of course we do. You can stay at my place, Max's, Joshua's, even the Log's, I'm sure. If you bat your eyelashes, Maxie."

She punched Alec out of habit, but not with enough heart that it actually hurt him. She sighed and nodded slowly, agreeing with what Alec said…all except the eyelashes part, that is.

"We've got places for you, it's true. But we don't have any kind of transportation, and I doubt we're all going to fit on Alec's bike and in Otto's car."

"We can take care of that, Max, don't you worry." Xandy said it somewhat sarcastically, as if she was offended that Max didn't think she had thought of transportation.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow at 0800 hours. And as of now, I'm planning on how we're going to infiltrate McKinley's campaign and follow White. Familiars are hard to track, without them realizing we're doing it."

Max tossed a harrowing look in Otto's direction. "Well, I think I have a way…"

Otto sat next to Wendy White quietly, who was twisting her hands in her lap. She was obviously terrified of everyone in the building, even though she wasn't bound and gagged anymore. He could hardly blame her; he had never expected the Created to turn on him, or this woman. He reached his hand out and took Wendy's, and he noticed that she was shaking. Otto felt immensely guilty again, for bringing her here, for not being able to protect this woman who had been hurt so deeply by her husband.

"It's going to turn out okay, Mrs. White."

"Stop calling me Mrs. White. I wish I could forget him, right now at least. Our whole life wasn't real, and he obviously didn't love me enough to count for anything. He kidnapped my son and tried to kill me. I am no longer Wendy White."

Her speech was impassioned, and he understood the hate that was boiling beneath the surface of calm that she had put up.

"Okay, Wendy," he tested her first name cautiously, "I'm sorry that all this happened. They won't hurt you, they just don't trust you."

"I know why they don't trust me. They're trying to protect their own, and I understand that. I was trying to do that when I looked for my son. I just don't know who these people are, or who my husband is affiliated with, and I'm just so confused. I don't even know who you are."

He smiled at her comfortingly, and it warmed her somewhat, but she lowered her gaze when she felt his eyes boring into her.

"I'm Otto. I worked at the NSA with your husband, until I became suspicious of his actions and his deep-seeded hate of the transgenics we were trying to capture. Then rumblings of the Created reached me, and I realized who White really was…"

Otto continued his explanation, trying his best to bring Wendy into the loop without scarring her for life at what she was about to find out.


	12. Split

_**Break**_

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**Split**_

Max couldn't help but feel completely conspicuous as the Created left their compound in a caravan of mismatched vehicles. Xandy had commandeered Otto's considerably nicer car, claiming that she didn't want the two Ordinaries to desert. Truly, Max was sure Xandy just wanted drive a well made car instead of driving one of those broken, barely running junk heaps. She was pulling up the lead, with Zane heading up the back to make sure none of them were taken out. Max was not happy about the idea of following Xandy the whole way to Seattle and she refused to be an easy target by traveling in a large group. This whole trip would be like Ames White's wet dream; defected breeding cult members, transgenics and his wife and ex-partner moving like a herd of sheep waiting for the fox to come for the hunt.

Of course, Xandy wouldn't listen to her when she suggested going separately, likely because it had been Max's idea to start with. So Max had decide to go to Zane, hoping he would listen to reason. Zane had balked against the idea at first, particularly after he had heard Xandy had said no. He was tired of fighting with Xandy all the time. With Max around, it was like Zane had to prove he wouldn't betray the Created all over again. Zane knew that it was the price he had to pay for escaping Manticore when he was a kid. But he had shown his loyalty to the Created repeatedly. His whole reason for leaving Manticore as a kid was to stay loyal to his unit. Loyalty was what Manticore bred and it was one of the few qualities that transgenics could never shake. Sometimes, Zane wondered if he just wanted to convince Xandy of his allegiance, not just the organization. Deep down, Zane knew Max was right about splitting up to go back to Seattle. Max was adamant in what she thought. And Zane was finally worn down by Max's dogged begging and he was agreeing to bring it up to Xandy once they got on the road before he even know what was happening. Max had known Zane would be her ally. They had always had to stick together.

Max watched Otto's car to see when Xandy got the cell phone call from Zane. Max saw the phone snap up to Xandy's ear after it vibrated. Max could barely hear what was being said over the roar of the engines, despite her super-hearing, but Max still caught the gist of the conversation. After Zane pulled out his power of persuasion, Xandy didn't stand a chance at resisting. She had fought it at first, yelling at him for being little Maxie's puppet, railing him for trusting Max's instincts over hers. Zane calmly lied, telling her he had no idea what Xandy was talking about, that he only wanted to make sure the Created wasn't going to be taken out or captured in one fail swoop. Zane was an extremely talented liar. He had an uncanny ability to make his voice sound almost blank with just enough twinges of innocence in it that invaded one's sense and made the victim actually feel guilty for ever doubting him in the first place. Zane pulled that deceptively innocent voice at Xandy when he insisted that the Created split up on the trip to Seattle. In the same way that Zane hadn't realized he had agreed to help Max, Xandy agreed to follow Zane's suggestion before she even realized she had. And she almost felt horrible for yelling at Zane for favoring Max when Zane had come to her with his own idea out of his concern for the Created. Almost. Who would blame her for doubting him, really, after all the illogical favor Zane had given to Max? Besides, by agreeing with Zane, it was like apologizing for ever doubting him. She hung up on Zane without another word and began to send the message to the whole organization to divide and meet at Max's apartment by 2300 hours. Max received her page quickly and she immediately sped up past Xandy, only to cut her off, much to Max's enjoyment. She couldn't help but send Xandy a triumphant smile that sent Xandy's blood boiling. She had been played by Zane yet again. Maybe Max would get hit by a car on the way to Seattle. Max could die, Alec could survive and Xandy's life would be back in order and definitely for the better.

Ames White rarely felt as good as he did at that moment, and he almost never let it show when he did. He was hanging toward the back while McKinley interviewed for a new aide. The man that had come into the office for this interview had nearly made White drop to the floor in laughter and delight. He was rarely prone to fits of laughter and delight was an emotion that was rarely affording in the cult. McKinley had instantly picked up on White's reactions, so he had made this interview fairly simple in a way that made it almost completely impossible for the interviewee to blow it, and hard enough where others who looked over McKinley's notes on this man wouldn't become suspicious. He couldn't wait until he didn't have to answer to anyone else in this ridiculous government. But that was a side note. This boy needed to be hired. That must be what White's reactions must be.

"Honestly, Sir, I've never been terribly interested in politics. However, your platform has drawn me into them, to the point that I can't imagine not being involved in your campaign. I admire your tenacity, Senator McKinley, and being your aide, being able to help you on the campaign would be a dream come true."

He felt a little self-conscious by the raving review he had just given the Senator. He probably sounded like an eager, inexperienced kid and that would be enough to make them decide not to hire him. Seriously. A dream come true? What, was he writing some kind of cheesy screenplay that would never see the light of a camera? He couldn't stop himself from feeling nervous, though. He was in the presence of Senator McKinley…a man that was running in the presidential election. This man could be the future of America.

He raised his eyes from his lap to scan the office. He saw a man in the corner, not cowering there, but trying to look inconspicuous. He hadn't even noticed that there had been anyone else in the room for the interview. The way the man was watching him made him feel uncomfortable. The man was studying him, almost sizing him up for something else other than the job he was here for. He felt so uncomfortable that he hadn't even realized that the Senator was talking to him again. Great. One more mark against him for this interview.

"Pardon me, Senator, I didn't hear what you were saying."

The Senator smiled tightly and repeated himself.

"We could use your enthusiasm around this office and in my campaign. I'll have to pass your application by some of the others in this office as well as complete your background check, but I think it's safe to say you'll be able to start on Monday."

He was ecstatic by what the Senator said, but he tried his best to hide the excitement that coursed through his body. He hadn't completely blown the interview, obviously. He would be work in Seattle on Monday. He stood to shake the Senator's hand while his mind raced about moving his stuff to Seattle from Texas by Monday. It wouldn't be too hard to have things moved, if they could get permission to have it passed through the checkpoints. He would have McKinley's stamp of approval, however, so it would be no problem.

Senator McKinley returned the firm handshake and accepted his not so subtle thank you for the opportunity.

"I look forward to working with you, Zack."

"Me, too, Senator McKinley. Thank you again!"

Zack turned to walk towards the door, but he couldn't stop himself from casting one more glance at the mysterious man in the corner. A shiver ran down Zack's spine, but he ignored it as he exited the office. The minute the door shut with a click, McKinley looked over at White.

"Well…"

"452 and 494 were just dropped into our laps with a nice big bow."

With that, White allowed his smile to shine through, his eerily perfect white teeth sparkling in an almost flawlessly taunting fashion.

Max couldn't return to her apartment yet. As much as she wanted to sink into her own bed after catching up with Original Cindy, she knew that she had to finally deal wit Logan first. She needed to fill him in on everything that was happening with the transgenics and probably Wendy White as well. Of course, he would probably find a way to make the whole situation about himself and how Max had let him down by leaving town. Even though this entire thing had nothing to do with him, the Created didn't even include Ordinary membership. It pained her to admit that Alec was often right where Logan was concerned, and he had continually told her that Logan was self-involved and more interested in using her than loving her. She was typically blinded when Logan was involved, even when he treated her badly and put his own needs as well as everyone else's before her own.

Her muscles drew taut just thinking about Logan. Her feelings of relaxation that she had absorbed from the open road and her Ninja disappeared. Almost nothing could rip that peace away from her, but Logan could. Alec was the only other man Max could think of that was capable of turning her insides into a tumultuous whirl of emotion. Alec noticed Max's tenseness immediately and he almost made the mistake of asking her if she was okay. He knew it was likely she would bite his head off if he showed any kind of interest in her life, so he decided he would just stay out of it, so he could avoid Max's abuse. Besides, the tenseness was probably all that sexual tension she had pent up while she insisted on having a 'non-relationship' with the Log. In fact, she was probably upset about him right now. All Max seemed capable of thinking anymore was Logan-centric.

The officers at the last checkpoint looked over their Jam Pony passes. The one good thing that job was good for. Alec held in a sigh. He was hardly looking forward to seeing Logan again. Logan really knew how to bring down anyone's spirit just by opening his mouth. He didn't even have to say anything…one could imagine what he would be saying. Even when he wasn't talking about saving the world, his topics and tone of voice was enough to make someone die of boredom and feel like they were leaving Logan a lesser person. Alec's thoughts were interrupted when Max pulled to a stop and turned off the motorcycle. They were already at Foggle Towers. Alec hadn't even realized they had pulled into the parking lot. She removed her helmet and shoved it at Alec.

"I want you to stay here while I go talk to Logan."

Alec's smirk appeared as he realized that he wasn't even going to have to see Logan. His day was already looking up. But he wouldn't just let it go.

"I'll stay here like a good little puppy, if you'll bring me back a treat. And I don't mean pasta and pre-Pulse wine. I want something good."

Max rolled her eyes in slight bitterness, knowing that Alec's joke about the food was true.

"Alec, you don't even know how things are anymore. Listen, if you want to be a smartass, you can just walk back to my apartment to meet up with that sweet girl, Xandy."

"I didn't want to leave my happy little Zen state anyway by talking to the Log. You know, the threat of Xandy really doesn't scare me. She likes me…it's you that she wants to squash under her little thumb."

"Fine, whatever. Just stay here." Max finally turned on her heel, feeling flustered in the way that only Alec could arouse.

Max hesitated outside the door, willing herself to walk in so she could get this over with. She could already hear the lecture she was about to receive because she had taken a not-so-relaxing break. "_The world does not take a break, Max. I don't ever take a break. Evil does not take a break."_

Obviously, Logan didn't take breaks. He wouldn't feel like a martyr if he allowed himself to enjoy life. Max had escaped –with Alec- to get away from St. Logan (though she hadn't realized that she felt that way before her break). She had suppressed it. She was always suppressing her feelings with Logan, one way or another. She contemplated running away from him again, just as she had before, but deep down, she knew it wasn't an option. She would have to swallow her fear and pride and face Logan. She took one deep breath before reaching to open the door, using her shirt to touch the knob, careful not to let her skin come in contact with the cool metal. She entered the apartment quietly, not purposefully, but enough to give Logan a start when she approached him from behind.

"At least you used the door this time."

Logan's comment was meant as a joke, to make Max laugh and to calm himself from his startled nerves, but it fell flat on both accounts. Max was unapologetic for surprising Logan; after all, she hadn't meant to do it. Logan started too easily, anyway. She leaned against the computer desk. She waited impatiently for Logan to begin his, "We-need-to-save-the-world" speech. He would bring up Wendy White eventually and that's when she would fill Logan in The Created.

She scanned the screens in Logan's version of an office. One screen was full of a semi-dossier on Wendy White, another map with various blinking red lights for tracking and yet several others watching the checkpoints. The hum of machines working together comforted her inexplicably and it soother her impatience to a degree.

Logan stared at Max intensely, not even sure of where to begin. Max had completely blown him off, being the selfish, self-centered person he had known when they first met and Max had tried to rob him blind. He had thought Max had moved past that, become a better person since she had met him. He had been sure his influence had made a positive impact on her life. He almost always did. But since Alec had become her constant companion, Max had become more self-centered again. Obviously Alec had been single-handedly undoing all of his positive influence on Max.

"You had absolutely no right to flee Seattle with the intention for taking an irresponsible break when the work we do is so important. Our work is more important and vital than anything else we could ever do, and you blew it off completely, even when I told you there was a case."

Max's mouth broke into an ironic smile, loving that Logan was already preaching to her.

"Our work, Logan? It's not our work. It's your work. I only started helping you after you said you would help me find my family. I have never felt the same way you have about the jobs we pulled off."

Logan ignored Max's clarification of what their work meant to each individual. Instead, he continued to berate her for her actions, like a father would a five-year-old who stole a candy bar.

"Wendy White – a woman who is connected to your kind's archenemy – went missing not long after her third born did, and you blew me off to go out and, what, party, with Alec. I've never known anyone to be so selfish, especially when this could have a connection to an entire population – including yourself."

"Logan – "

"I thought we had moved past only thinking about yourself. You'd been doing so well, working for the greater good and Alec swoops into your life and messes up everything I had taught you about being unselfish."

Max had slowly been reaching her boiling point the whole time. Logan had lectured and ignored her. She fought the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch Logan to put them both out of their misery. Instead, despite the satisfaction swift death to Logan might give her, she finally overtook the voice of a man who loved to hear his own too much.

"You're not any more selfless than I ever have been. You do what you do so you can feel better about yourself and cry about being a martyr all the time. You don't help people out of the goodness of your heart and neither do I. I'm done being your lap dog, Logan.

I am not at your beck and call. I don't know why I didn't see that you were using me before. All the other transgenics could see it, but I always chalked their words up to the general mistrust that transgenics hold towards Ordinaries. But now I see it. Now that I'm doing hearing you berate me, we can move on.

Wendy White is safe for the moment. Otto found her at a breeding cult warehouse facility and along with The Created, we are moving forward with our plans to stop the breeding cult. You can help us. After two years of being your personal puppet, you will help us with whatever we need. It's your turn to play the lap dog."

With that last sentence, Max pushed away from the desk and started to stalk out of the apartment, filled with relief. She actually felt better after having told Logan what she thought. She couldn't believe she has allowed Logan to suppress her personality for so long. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

She stopped at the door for a brief moment, and turned back to Logan. "I'll call you when we need you. Don't contact me until then."

She shut the door with a resounding slam that filled her with satisfaction.


	13. Zack

_**Break **_

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**Zack**_

Alec immediately noticed how despondent Max seemed when she returned from Logan's apartment. Despite his dying curiosity, he refrained from asking her what had happened, because he had this sinking feeling that Max might turn around and snap his neck if he tried to intrude on this. Max would usually break down and whine about it anyway, so he just had to be patient. The ride back was rather uncomfortable and Alec couldn't think of a time that he'd been so happy to see Max's apartment.

Original Cindy wasn't home yet, possibly still working at Jam Pony or maybe even relaxing at Crash already. Max was more than disappointed not to see her roommate in the apartment, though Max couldn't blame her for being gone. It's not like Max had been around lately. She still felt calmer just being in her familiar surroundings, even happy to see the rats that infested the apartments they stayed in. She turned around when she heard Alec footsteps, realizing that she had almost forgotten that Alec was with her. In no time, the rest of the apartment would be filling up with the 'freaks' and she wouldn't have a moment alone. Maybe that was a good thing. After what she'd just said to Logan, she really would be alone now. He wouldn't forgive her for what she had said, not about Eyes Only and Logan's misguided attempt to save the world that didn't care about each other. If she had attacked anything else but Eyes Only, he would have chalked it up to her childish attempt at freedom and brought her back to him (whether it was so he could continue to use her or not, Max wasn't sure). How was she going to manage to do without Logan now? He'd been there, helping her make Seattle a home, not just another stop in the never-ending move around the country, and now without him, did she still have a home?

Alec watched her closely, his eyes completely focused on her and nothing else. The action made Max more than nervous; she even noticed that her heart rate increased at an almost alarming rate as she felt his scrutiny. He knew something was wrong. Why didn't he ask her about it? Alec was a ball of curiosity, all the time, more interested in learning the gossip than being around to help her through the situations. She couldn't take his eyes any longer, so she turned back to the kitchen quickly and started to move things around the counter for no particular reason.

"Would you stop that already?"

"Stop what?" Alec's fired back innocently, like he had no idea that his staring unnerved her. Truthfully, Alec didn't know why it bothered her so much, but it only entertained him more that his attention made her edgy. He followed her into the kitchen, moving in closer and closer until Max almost pushed him away. She was growing angrier by the minute, her eyes were turning into fiery pools of chocolate, something he enjoyed causing.

"Staring at me like I'm some kind of experiment. It's annoying!"

Alec's smirk fell into place easily, his joy at making Max uncomfortable filling his body. He loved making her upset and unnerved. If she didn't react so easily, he would probably leave her alone, but she never failed in her over-reaction.

"You don't seem to find it annoying, Maxie, I think you like it."

"You would think something irritatingly wrong like that, wouldn't you, Alec? You know what? You're the most annoying, self-centered…"

"Arrogant, smart-alecky, charming, wonderfully gorgeous man I've ever met and I can't stop thinking about you, it makes me absolutely crazy."

Alec rather enjoyed the look that appeared on Max's face. The shock and fury was quite an improvement over the dark and depressed look she had had only a few minutes ago. She was almost laughing at him, if she didn't think that would encourage him to continue on. She didn't know what he was doing, didn't realize that he was getting her mind of Logan and her problems just by insulting her. If she had noticed, she might actually feel some sort of warm and fuzzy feeling towards Alec, but Alec did his job successfully, to the point that her hate for him overrode her senses.

She slammed her fist on the counter as if to prove her anger to Alec and he literally laughed. She raised her chin in indignation and Alec moved in even closer to her. "Feeling better, Maxie?"

She was speechless for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. He had just given away his secret, and it took her too long to process it. How had he known? How had he figured out what was going on? Did he know that she and Logan were finished?

"How did you know I was upset?"

"Please, Max, I know you better than you think. Besides, that dark cloud that was crashing over your head made it obvious to everyone that you and Logan are still on the outs."

"Me and Logan are none of your business."

"Yes, only you and Logan affect everyone, because you take it out on all of us, especially me. You know you and Logan will just make up eventually, after you've made my life miserable, and everything will go back to the way you like it."

Max lowered her eyes to hide the pain that she felt, pain that she couldn't help no matter how badly Logan had treated her over time. She didn't deserve the way he treated her most of the time and she knew it, so she would have to stay strong and try to stop feeling as badly about the break up as she did. But it would take some time.

"Not this time."

Her words were whispered quietly, some emotion creeping into her voice that Alec didn't really recognize. Somehow, though, the tone made Alec believe it. Now her mood made sense. He stayed quiet, and moved to her, wrapping his arms gently around her. She stiffened at first, but she relaxed, feeling like she would be okay for at least a few minutes, as long as she knew someone, anyone would be there for her when Logan was not. When Logan never really had been there. She tilted her face to look at Alec, at their lips were closer than she had intended. They were almost touching and for a moment, Max didn't think that would be so tragic if they did. Before it happened, before their friendship took a turn, though, the door opened and Zane, Xandy, Gage, Riley and the rest of the group burst into the apartment without knocking, milling about in a manner that almost made the apartment a compound. She sprang apart from Alec, trying to steady her raging emotions. This many transgenics in her apartment could not happen. They were leaving immediately for Joshua's.

Joshua had been thrilled with the company. When he saw Max filing in with Alec, he'd been ecstatic, but then he'd seen the group of people that looked like they formed a nice military unit. At first fear has struck Joshua. How many times had Max told him not to be around people, that he would scare them because they didn't understand? But instead of hiding, he convinced himself that they would be his friends, because maybe Max was friends with them too. He waited in the living room for the whole group to enter and they were staring at him very obviously, though not necessarily out of fear. They seemed to understand what was happening and if Joshua was right, some of them were transgenics. But not all of them. Max quickly explained what was happening, how the Created intended to stop the horrible Breeding Cult that Father had left behind to make him, and Joshua was excited at the prospect of helping. He had no problem having company all the time and he offered to make dinner for all of them. Max seemed to be thinking, and he was unaware that she was considering how helpful that would be, because it would get him out of the way. When she smiled and told him to go ahead, Joshua was positive he was helping the situation. And he was, just not in the way he thought. Besides, they would need to eat eventually. Even if it was just macaroni and cheese.

After they had gathered, plans had flown around. Tonight they would infiltrate McKinley's office. There was no time to wait. No doubt word of Wendy's rescue and the removal of the black box from the warehouse had reached the important members of the breeding cult, like White and McKinley. They would be waiting for the Created to make their move, and for that, they would have to be careful. The sooner they moved on this, the better. They needed to find out some of McKinley's campaign details, so they could begin a successful sabotage of the campaign and reveal his true allegiance that most definitely wasn't to the American public. It was decided that Alec, Max, and Zane would go on this mission, since Alec and Max knew the city so well, and Zane worked well with those two; Xandy would stay behind to guard the prisoners so she felt they were actually guarded well, and Riley, Gage, and two others would be on stand by for the off-chance that the first string needed back up.

The trio was on their way before Joshua even finished cooking dinner, a meal that the rest of the Created would enjoy while they were away. Max felt energized at the prospect of this mission, excited about being a step closer to bringing White and McKinley down. She thought that it was possible that Otto forcing them to participate in the Created was a good thing, even the kidnapping and annoyance they had gone through to make it to the Created. After all, she had another one of her brothers with her and maybe he would be able to stay around after they finished with this cult business. Just like maybe Xandy could leave as soon as it was all over. Max would like nothing more. She couldn't wait to get this all done and over with, and the energy that boiled within her kept her mind off of Logan and managed to rub off on everyone else. Alec's muscles were practically humming at the prospect of getting in a good fight with a jerk from the breeding cult and Zane was ecstatic that his work for the last several months was finally resulting in something. Together, they would be almost unstoppable.

Max was the first to scale the building that held McKinley's office. Zane followed Max up the wall and Alec remained on the ground to keep watch while Max and Zane did the actually breaking and entering of the office. A light was on, a lamp on the desk, that lit the whole office with a warm, almost comforting glow. However, light was the last thing to give them true comfort. Someone might actually still be working in the office since the light was still on, and this could put a crimp in their plans for the evening. McKinley and his staff were supposed to be at home now. It was well past normal working hours. Max entered the office quietly, through the window that she had cut open. Zane followed just as stealthily and the two moved to separate sides of the empty office, going to search through the filing cabinet and desk.

A window was cut into one of the walls, showing several other desks, presumably desks for part of McKinley's staff. The desks were orderly and inviting, one more place that Max could search. She moved to the door, watching the window to see if anyone was still out there, possibly explaining the lamp on in the empty office. She saw a shadowy figure bending over one of the desks, their face obstructed by dirty blond hair and light angles. Max took a step to make a closer look, her finger snapping at Zane to make him take notice. The two of them continued to the window, trying to remain unseen, when the figure stood, straightened and made it obvious of who was working late.

"Oh, my….." Max stopped, in shock almost. They were too late now. He spotted them. He started to run, yelling something unintelligible to normal ears, but to them, it was "Stop! You're not supposed to be in there!"

They didn't have time to digest the information. They had to get out of there. Get out before their brother caught them.


	14. Family

_**Break**_

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Family**_

Max and Zane ran onto the street where the getaway motorcycles were waiting. Alec couldn't miss the stricken appearance on their faces, but before Alec could mention it, Max straddled his motorcycle and yelled, "Go!" Alec saw the glance that passed between Zane and Max before the motorcycles took off, a look that bonded them as siblings and left everyone else out. That always seemed to be the case, though, so Alec didn't dwell on it. All he wanted to know was what had caused the two to look so shocked and helpless.

Zack. Working for McKinley. The concept was difficult to even process. How could he get involved with this man? Zack was supposed to be safely tucked away on a farm in Texas. Obviously he wasn't. Logan had failed her yet again on as small a task as making sure her amnesiac brother was safe. He was supposed to be monitoring Zack periodically, but apparently that was too hard of a task for him. If Logan had been doing what he said he was, Zack wouldn't have moved across the country to work for a man who's goal in life was to kill them and their kind. How could Logan have missed such a big event in Zack's life? Zack still didn't remember who he was. That was the only way he would be able to work for McKinley. The only way Zack could hunt their kind. The breeding cult had obviously planned this. They probably expected the Created to drop their whole mission because Zack was there and in danger. They had assumed they could use Zack as a bargaining chip. They hadn't realized that the Created hated the '09ers as much as the breeding cult hated transgenics in general. And they hadn't counted on Max feeling responsible for Zack being there. They had underestimated her reaction to the whole situation; their fatal mistake.

Max was the first one into Joshua's house when the motorcycles had pulled into the drive. She made an entrance that wouldn't easily be forgotten.

"We're taking that man down and he's going to feel pain. I will find a way to overcome their no feeling barrier and I am going to torture him until he begs for me to stop. I probably won't even stop there."

Zane skulked in after Max's dramatic entrance, the entire feeling of defeat coming off of him in waves. The Created turned their attention on those who had returned from the mission and waited for more explanation of Max's outburst and Zane's stony silence. Alec walked in after him, with the other getaway driver; those two seeming no more informed on what had happened than those that had been life behind. Alec moved forward, touching Max surprisingly gently. Max didn't jerk away from his touch despite the anger that was boiling inside of her, another shock. She stood completely still, breathing heavily, trying to clear her mind and prepare herself for telling everyone else what had happened.

Xandy was the first one to actually ask what happened. She didn't like that they had come back empty handed, and the way they looked, something big had happened. And it better be a good excuse for coming back with nothing.

"What went on at McKinley's office, Zane? This was supposed to be a simple B and E. Nothing more. You two are experts at that!"

Zane shuffled his feet, not willing to look at Xandy. She wouldn't understand what was happening. None of them would. None of the transgenics had ever felt like they were a part of a family except the 09ers and trying to explain such a bond would be fairly futile. She would find that as no excuse for not coming back with what they had asked for, and she wouldn't understand the depth of the emotions he and Max were feeling. But he had to explain it anyway.

"Our brother Zack was already at McKinley's office." Zane said it simply but most didn't understand the implications. Alec did, however. Alec knew exactly why Zack shouldn't have been at McKinley's office. He likely wasn't there on his own reconnaissance.

Alec decided to clarify the situation. "Zack. Like, shot himself in the head to give Max a heart, memory loss Zack? The one that was supposed to be living happily ever after in Texas?"

Max nodded in a defeat that Alec had rarely seen in her form. Alec suddenly knew why they had been so upset when they had run out of the office. It wasn't just because they had been caught. It was because they had been caught by Zack.

"Zack was working at the office, wasn't he, Max?"

Max nodded again, eerily quiet and perfectly still except for the head motion. She seemed to be thinking, probably considering the millions of different way she was going to kill White and McKinley, how to utterly destroy these men who tried so desperately to ruin her life and everyone around her. She turned, finally, looking at Zane with intensity. They were communicating in their own way again. Max spoke, calmer than she had before, but the edge was still obviously in her voice.

"They think that I will try to take him, extract him, and that will be what traps me. They didn't expect our reaction or my plan. They thinking hiring Zack will be the end of us, but really it will be the end of them. They won't capture me or anyone else." Max paused for dramatic effect, "Xandy, you wanted someone to infiltrate the campaign, someone on the inside we could trust. As soon as Zane and I explain the situation to Zack, we will have one. Zack will be our inside man. We just need proof that will convince him to help us."

Gage staked out McKinley's office building, per Xandy's order. He followed Zack home as soon as the transgenic exited the building, and called in the address to the apartment Zack had unlocked. He noticed the Familiars that were hanging around the building, easy to spot with their stiff stances and conspicuous dress. He gave that information to headquarters as well, then sat back and waited for Zane and Max to arrive. He would distract the Familiars and Max and Zane would get into the building safely. The plan was basic, but good. This was a step forward for the Created. This could really help them stop the breeding cult.

Gage heard the motorcycles nearing the corner. He had told them to park out of sight and that he would keep an eye out for them. He stepped into the street, walking quickly towards Zack's building with all the subtlety of a gorilla lumbering towards a banana. Two Familiars huddled near the entry, boredom written on their faces. Despite the orders White had given them to stay alert, they didn't really expect anyone to come on their shift at twilight. Gage had been counting on that. He started towards the doors, trying to make sure that his drawn on barcode was visible. If these Familiars thought he was a transgenic going for Zack, they would think they were chasing someone White wanted them to capture. He would run until he met up with Riley on another motorcycle and speed away while Max and Zane made it into Zack's apartment without being noticed. They could escape easily enough, hopefully with Zack on their side and not on McKinley's any longer. As if on cue, the Familiars approached him slyly, surrounding him almost unnoticeably. Gage waited a few more moments in fake oblivion before he took off in a superhuman run. The Familiars followed dumbly, and Gage turned to see Max and Zane enter the building successfully. For a moment, he had never been prouder to be a member of the Created. And never more ashamed to have even been brought into existence by the breeding cult. This plan was ridiculously simple. They had fallen for it.

Max slid through the hallway smoothly, looking for the number Gage had provided them with. This place was only slightly nicer than her place, which surprised her since Zack was supposed to have this big important job with McKinley. They must not be paying him very much to betray his own kind. She glanced behind her and saw Zane with a similar look on his face. They had both expected more from McKinley than this. She found the apartment first, pausing before they broke in. How were they going to make Zack trust them? They were breaking into his apartment. He would be likely to call the police before they even got their story out. But they had to try. She and Zane could handle a couple of bent cops if they had too. This was their most likely way to infiltrate the campaign.

She was almost afraid to be face to face with her big brother again. Memories of their last encounter, having to shock him to save Logan's life, Zack's mind twisted around in a way that she couldn't fix, brought Max a lot of pain. It was almost as bad as looking at Alec and remembering what she did to Ben. This had to be done, despite her personal feelings. She couldn't stand the thought of White and the Familiars using her brother against their own kind when Zack's whole mission in life had been to keep them safe. She snapped the door handle, twisting it against her lock pick, and opened the door quietly. She motioned for Zane to follow, both remaining silent while they entered the apartment. The room was sparse, barely any furniture or personality in the room. Zack obviously didn't have much.

He wasn't in the living room, so that left the room to their right, a door shut blocking them out from reconnecting with their brother. Zane barged in while Max stared at the once closed door to find Zack lying on a makeshift bed. He jumped to his feet, worry etched on his face.

"Who are you? What do you want? I don't have anything for you to steal…you were at the office. What, are you planning on making me a political prisoner, because I'm barely higher than an intern? It won't work."

"We're not here to kidnap you, Zack." Zane said it firmly, but Max could see it in Zane's eyes that this situation pained him. Zack had always kept them all connected and to see that connection broken made him feel even more lost that he had when they had escaped from Manticore in the first place.

"How did you know my name?" Zack stood in a natural defensive stance that he didn't even realize he had encoded in him. He scanned the room, memorizing Zane's features before turning to Max. A puzzled look appeared on his face, familiarity between the two seemed obvious. He knew her. He had seen her before he went back to Texas. She had told him they didn't know each other then, and he was sure she would say the same now.

But before he could mention his recognition, the man was answering his first question.

"We're your family, Zack. You are our big brother."

Zack almost laughed at the simple statements the man had made. He didn't have any family. They had died a long time ago. This person was trying to use him to get close to McKinley, information about McKinley.

"I don't have family. They're all dead."

"You just don't remember us, Zack." Max spoke this time, her voice soft and almost gentle, gentle enough to make Zack look at her in a similar appearance of belief. His memories had always been fuzzy, when his memory was incredibly sharp. He never knew why his past was so dim in his mind. He wanted to believe this girl, but how could he? They continually tried to break into the place that he was at.

"We look nothing alike, not like we're related in the least. You expect me to believe you when you break into my house off the street, and take you at your word just because my past has faded?"

Max and Zane exchanged looks and the Max delved into the story of their life. She tried to make it sound a little less science fiction-y, though with a life like theirs, it was hard. She knew that everything she said sounded completely unbelievable and that as Zack listened to them, he would decide they belonged in a mental institution. She plowed through it, though, ending with the Created and their battle against the breeding cult run by McKinley, White, and several other powerful people in the country.

Zack wanted to laugh. These two people who had broken into his house were obviously escapees from a psychiatric ward. He stared at them, wonder in his eyes; shock that someone would go to these lengths to sabotage McKinley's campaign. Yet something in the girl's eyes, the familiar brown eyes that he knew he'd seen before, told him that despite every intuition he had about this situation, she was telling the truth. He didn't want to believe it. Transgenics being chased by breeding cult members that worshipped snakes seemed like a pre-Pulse movie.

"I know you don't believe us, Zack. But it's true. You know you had a barcode on the back of your neck. You know that I'm telling you the truth. You know it deep down. You're my big brother."

Zack fought that concept. Everything he felt towards this brown haired girl told him that he didn't have any kind of familial relationship, or he didn't want to. He guessed they weren't technically related, after all that she had told him, they were only in the same unit. She obviously saw him as a brother, though. But these feelings towards her would explain why he was starting to believe everything she said. He knew about transgenics. Mr. White and Governor McKinley had spoken out against them on several occasions. He was helping a man who was hunting his own kind, a man that wanted them all dead. He felt betrayed, by the man he had admired, and by this makeshift little family that he had had that allowed him to run away and forget every responsibility he had towards them. If they had just helped him remember earlier, told him who he was, Zack would never have come to work for McKinley. Sudden self-loathing filled his mind, disgust at himself for admiring the governor. He was a fool.

Max could see the wheels turning in Zack's head. She knew that he believed their story, and if he was still the Zack she knew inside, he would be offering to help any minute. Hope surged through her that her big brother was going to be able to help them. She tried to keep her emotions in check, but she knew Zane could tell what she was feeling. He was probably feeling it too, minus the guilt over having put Zack in this position in the first place.

"How can I help you? The Created? If I'm one of you, I should be able to help."

Max grinned at him and Zane grabbed a hold of Zack's shoulder.

"We were hoping you'd offer. We can use your position in McKinley's organization to find out how much they know and what they're planning to do to our organization. They don't know we've gotten to you. Would you do that? Report back to us? It could be dangerous. White could snap at any minute."

"I'll try. I don't know how good I'll be at it, but I'll try."

Max threw herself at Zack, giving him a huge hug that was completely uncharacteristic of her. But she had another one of her brothers back. Two in one room. And this was Zack. She had ruined his life several times. Hopefully she wouldn't do it again by asking him to do this.

Zack seemed taken aback by Max's sudden show of affection. He finally returned the embrace tentatively, but she didn't' seem to notice his uncertainty. This whole situation was overwhelming to Zack. He would have to process everything he'd been told. And he needed to do it away from his family. He would be with them soon enough.

"I need some time to think about all this, you guys. I know this is supposed to be some sort of great family reunion, but I don't really remember anything that you've told me. I need some time. But I will help."

Zane nodded, understandingly, and stepped away from his siblings. "We'll get out of your hair. Come on, Maxie; let's go tell the others the good news."

Max pulled away from Zack, trying to hold back her desire to keep attached to him for a considerably long time. Zack needed his space and she had to respect that. The two headed to the window, to scale up the building and disappear into the night. She tossed Zack one last longing look. "We'll be in touch." Zane and Max faded away in a way transgenics could.


	15. Exposed

_**Break**_

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**Exposed**_

Xandy had never been more irritated in a long while, and that was saying quite a lot, considering all the surprises that she had been thrown these last few days. She knew Max and Zane had slipped on out to talk Zack into joining the organization, leaving her out of the action once again. This guy didn't even remember the two, and their excuse was that they were siblings. She was sick of them all pulling this sibling card. Why did that give them the right to exclude the rest of them? They were the Created and that little traitor had her so called siblings splitting off into their own group. She wasn't really one for togetherness and closeness, but the two of them running off to do their own thing was really getting on her nerves. On top of this, they were taking longer than necessary to persuade Zack to join their cause. Honestly, if Zack couldn't remember what they were, they could easily find way to make him see the light.

Just as Xandy sat on a torn up couch in their warehouse stewing in anger, Zane and Max strolled in, looking just as pleased as cats that had caught a mouse. Alec was stretched out in a chair and he made no sudden moves to get up, just laid back and watched interestedly at the smile on Max's face. Xandy, however, jumped to her feet to make her way to let Zane know just what she thought of his plans leaving her out. But as always, Max had her say first.

"Zack's in, the barcode thing really sold him, I think. He's waiting for us to contact him. He'll be set to do whatever we want."

"Can we depend on him, Zane? He's an amnesiac. He's not exactly going to be top quality transgenic. I don't know how I feel about trusting someone who doesn't even remember his heritage. He could flake. Or turn traitor like he did on all of us when he ditched Manticore."

"It's not like exposing a secret cult to the world is something that we need to do on a whim. This needs to be worked out with all advantages possible in our favor. Zack is an advantage. He's on the inside. White thought he could use Zack against us, but we can use him against White and McKinley. He doesn't know that the strength of the bond between X series, especially between us 09ers. He's underestimated us and that's going to bring the Familiars down. There is a bond, Xandy. You don't trust it anymore than the Familiars do."

"You put too much faith in your so-called siblings." Xandy said snidely as she turned on her heel. Zane followed after her, not one to let a fight drop. Max considered following as well, but she instead turned towards Alec to fill him on the details. She was tired of Xandy's constant whining. She thought that the X series were tougher than Xandy was, more adept at making changes to their plans and accommodating what happened around them. Xandy only seemed to like whining about every little thing that came up. She'd let Zane deal with her.

Zane pulled Xandy to him with his cat-like reflexes, whirling her so she had to look into his eyes. His eyes were fire and he was no longer going to put up with Xandy any longer. He wasn't going to keep feeling repentant for running away from a terrible situation, and he wasn't going to let Xandy keep making his siblings seem like they were less than what they were. She may not have grown up with the same ties with her unit as Zane had with his own, but she had to know she couldn't keep making these remarks.

"I get that you're angry. I get that you're life sucked at Manticore. Ours did too. And being on the run from Manticore was no picnic, even being on the outside. We liked being free, but we always had to look over our shoulders. But I trust every one of my siblings with my life, even Zack. He may not remember everything, but he will come through for us. Because loyalty is an innate quality, and despite what Manticore tried to do to us, we still have that trait inside. I am sick of you trying to make me doubt my siblings. I'm tired of hearing you talk about them like they're lower than dirt. Because they're not. I'm not."

Xandy stared back, surprised at the outburst. She had never really considered Zane to be a part of the traitors, not really. In her mind, in her heart more accurately, she considered Zane to be as dependable and loyal as she was. And sexy, but that was beside the point.

"Zane, I know you're not dirt or scum or whatever you're implying. You've been away from your unit for a long time, so I don't know how you think you can trust them just because you once worked together when you were kids. People change."

"Not loyalty, Xand. We're all there for each other, no matter what. Even if we were across the country, if someone needed help, we would be there if it was possible."

Xandy sighed and pulled away from Zane. She knew they weren't going to get anywhere talking about this. Zane would never see any reason where his "siblings" were concerned.

Zane grunted in frustration. "Don't give me that sigh, Xandy. You've got to put a little faith in us. You think I put too much faith in them. You don't put enough faith in us."

Xandy shrugged his words off for a moment. Then she muttered quietly, "I put faith in you, Zane."

Normal people wouldn't have heard her, but they weren't normal. The entire room of transgenics heard the confession. And soon, they were all watching the scene, no longer trying to pretend to be disinterested. Zane pulled Xandy to him with those reflexes of his once more, pressing his mouth over hers. She kept her eyes wide, while Zane's mouth slowly massaged Xandy's lower lip, then slipping his tongue into her mouth. Her eyes finally fluttered shut, allowing the feeling of Zane wash over her, trying not to think about how weak she was being by letting Zane do this. She couldn't deny that she had dreamed of this happening for quite a while, when she wasn't thinking about how The Created could take down the breeding cult, that is.

"Excuse me, but not that this has been taken care of, can we get the last of the plans? We've got to move tomorrow. McKinley's announcing his running for presidency. We have plans to make and a party to crash." Max interrupted the blissful kiss with the check back to reality. Her arms were folded over her chest, her brown eyes boring into the budding couple. She tapped her foot impatiently, proving her dislike for the new situation. She didn't like Xandy. She probably never would. And the thought of her brother hooking up with that didn't make her happy. But she wasn't here to push her way into Zane's relationships. Not now, anyway.

Xandy blushed lightly and walked towards the table where Gage, Alec, Riley, Otto, and Wendy sat. She turned back to see Zane following her movements with his eyes, a small smile touching his lips. He then slung an arm around Max, "Yep, Baby Sister, the important business is finished. Now let's get to the good stuff."

Xandy and Zane entered the ballroom with smiles on their faces. They were the two that White didn't know their appearances, so Zack had easily put them on the guest list to McKinley's ball that would announce his presidential election. Zane would go around the back room and let Max and Alec in, while Xandy went around the side and let Gage and Riley in. They would meet with Zack in the kitchen, and then come around to the side of the stage, staying out of sight of the Familiar guards. When McKinley made his announcement, an Eyes Only Broadcast would interrupt the proceedings, displaying on the projections. The evidence would quickly be played across the projector, and then Wendy and Otto would make their appearances. Granted, putting Wendy and Otto would leave them wide open for retaliation, but Wendy's story would be the most convincing. Wendy was the one who had an inside with the Breeding Cult. Without her story, they wouldn't have much but circumstantial evidence. This is when they would come up on stage to make sure that McKinley and the others wouldn't leave. They imagined this is when the fighting would ensue and then they would live happily ever after. Right?

"You look quite beautiful tonight, Xandy. I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress. Or thought I ever would." Zane said this quietly while nodding to one of the waiters to take a glass of champagne.

"Thanks, Zane. I never really thought I would have to degrade myself to be distracting by my looks alone, but the things I do for the cause supersede any desires I have for myself." She raised her glass to White, who noticed the unusual beauty with interest. Xandy enjoyed taking White's interest, knowing what she would end up doing to him at the end of the night. She would have to disappear soon, though, before he approached her and distracted her from their mission.

"We appreciate your sacrifice, darling. Now, come on, I feel that I need to stake my claim against White. I can't have him eying you and taking you away when we have everything planned so perfectly." With that, he leaned down, kissing her square on the mouth, challenging anyone to defy his possessive nature over Xandy. Then he pulled her away, towards the back of the room, where anyone who did notice might think they were disappearing for a quickie, not raising the suspicion of anyone, not even the Familiar guards.

As soon as they reached the kitchen, Xandy slapped half-heartedly at Zane.

"What, now that you've kissed me once, you think you can do it anytime?" Xandy said with only a little bit of malice in her voice.

"For the sake of the cause, of course! Now don't be too irritated, Xandy, you're just as glad that I kissed you as I am. Now we've got other things to do right now. I'll meet you back at 2100 hours, around the side." He winked at Xandy as he jogged through the kitchen, loosening his tie. Xandy sighed and turned on her stiletto heel, cursing being in a dress and high heels once more. She wished she could loosen something like Zane could.

Max and Alec pushed one another playfully while waiting outside the backdoor. They were tense, but ready for this to finally be over. She was tired of running. She'd been running even longer than Alec had, and they were both sick of it. She had never imagined that escaping Seattle with Alec tagging along would turn into her meeting up with another one of her siblings, finding a group that would help her finish White. She honestly hadn't expected a lot of things to happen, including figuring out how badly Logan had treated her and starting to accept Alec a little more than she had been capable of previously. She wasn't ready to admit that she loved him, but she would admit that she liked him. Most of the time.

Alec watched Max instead of the back window they would be crawling through when Zane unlatched it. She was lost in thought, the cold showing in her pink cheeks, while she shifted from foot to foot. She was wearing a dress, too, just like Xandy had been – they had to blend in to the background until the time came that they confronted McKinley and White. "You look pretty hot tonight, Maxie. I'm sure if Logan saw you, he'd be on his knees begging for you to come back."

Max smirked slightly at Alec. "He's already tried that, and I was just in my motor cycle gear." Alec was surprised that Max was capable of joking about her and Logan. He had kind of expected a swift slap in the head for the slightly backhanded comment. She seemed to take jokes a lot better now that she wasn't so tense with Logan whispering in his ear. He definitely loved the new Max a lot more than he did the old one, and if he was honest with himself, he'd been in love with the old Max too. But the happier Max seemed more intent to tolerate him, and he knew without a doubt that his charms would win Max over to see things his way. Especially when they didn't have to run anymore.

The latch flipped open with Zane's face appearing in the window while he pushed the pane back. Max jumped up and slid through easily, with Alec following through quickly. Zack was waiting by the table. The group stayed silent, tension and nervousness thick between them all. They waited for Xandy to appear with Riley and Gage. When they were united, they all exchanged glances before Xandy said a quick speech.

"This is it, guys. Something we've been working for since we've been out. Don't screw this up."

Zane laughed lightly at Xandy's version of a pep talk. "What she means is we're all awesome superheroes, and what we're doing today will ultimately stop a nation takeover of the bad guys, so what will happen is that we will prevail because we are the good guys. And break." The group smiled at Zane's joke and then they split to the sides of the stage as they heard the announcement of, "And we welcome Senator McKinley to say a few words."

White scanned the room for any sign of trouble. He had a feeling that 452 might appear to ruin this. He wouldn't let that happen. Centuries of breeding had led to this moment. Once McKinley was put into office, they would finish off the weak and ultimately a sort of utopia would come to pass. Just as it should have been long before.

McKinley was blathering about all the things he would do for the country and how much he loved the United States, even post-Pulse. He transitioned into his announcement that he would be running for President in the upcoming election. But before White knew what was happening, those eyes came onto the projector screen, blocking out the image of McKinley. Not an Eyes Only broadcast. Not now. White made a loud grunt as he balled up his fists, resisting the urge to punch the screen. He nodded at two of the Familiar guards and a couple of his own NSA agents to take McKinley away from the podium. He couldn't know what would happen now, but it would be bad.

"…This cannot be traced, it cannot be safe, and it is the only free voice left in the city. Senator McKinley has supposedly served the state well, speaking for his constituents. Unfortunately, he has been serving another master. Corruption has taken force in our country and he is trying to take it to the White House. Beginning centuries ago, a breeding cult was formed to weed out the weak and bring power to the strong. After killing the first two children born to a woman, the third child is taken and when they come of age, they are given poisonous snake blood and if they survive this, they are strong. If they do not, they are weak. The women are then killed. These cult members are known as Familiars." Several pictures flashed across screen – some of the photographs they found from Donald Lydecker, some that they had found throughout the years and the symbol marking the Familiars. Eyes Only quickly explained the symbol and stated that it could be found on the forearm of every member. He slipped into the explanation of The Created then brought Wendy and Otto onto the screen.

"Wendy White was married to one of these members, Ames White – Head of an NSA special unit. Unknown to her, her son, Ray, was taken by the cult members to be tested. She soon found out the truth when her husband tried to murder her."

"I was distraught when my child was taken, but I soon discovered that my own husband was behind the kidnapping. He endangered the life of my son and tried to rid himself of any evidence of his existence, as well as my own. I was stronger than he assumed I was. Do not trust these people. Senator McKinley is close friends with my husband and it is more than a governmental tie. With people like my husband and the Senator penetrating the government, none of us are safe."

Otto stepped farther into the frame, "I am a former NSA agent, who left under Ames White's reign in the NSA. His obsession with strength was evident and his animosity towards transgenics was far above the average person. I soon found out that a specific transgenic can bring an end to the breeding cult, and she has been working for it since she discovered the truth. Ames White has always taken orders from Senator McKinley and their tie has become evident. All you have to do is look at their forearm and you will see the symbol of the cult."

Eyes Only's eyes took back the screen. "Do not let this man take over our country. His words are lies hoping to lead you away from the truth, just as snakes have played their parts in folklore throughout history; McKinley hopes to lead you down a dark path. Make your decisions. Choose your side. A war will come. Peace. Out."

The Eyes Only broadcast ended, leaving the ballroom silent. Silence before the pandemonium broke out.

Wendy glanced at Otto and Logan. "Do you think it worked? Do you think such a shortened version of our story will prove its point?"

Logan nodded as he rifled through papers on his desk. "Yes. We couldn't afford to stay online any longer, or we could be traced. But I think we've made the impact. The police may not do anything, but people are aware of the cult and aware of some of the prime members. This is what matters. The Familiars will be easily identified."

Wendy sighed softly. "I wish I could have done something before this. I wish I had known. I wish I could have gotten Ray away."

Otto stroked her hair softly, kissing her forehead. "Wishing will get you no where. As soon as you knew, you did something about it. It's admirable."

Logan agreed quickly, then handed both new identification papers. "They know who you are now. You're going to have to leave the country because retaliation will probably happen soon. You're a married couple. All of your information is in those packets. Your son has been away at boarding school. He will be joining you in less than a month."

Wendy's eyes lit up at that comment. "He'll be joining us? My son?"

"I know where he is. He's safe. And he'll be with you soon with his new identity. You've done well, Wendy. Now you can be happy."

Wendy's relief was evident. She and Otto would be safe. She could put Ames behind her. And she would have her son. She was a little wary of her happily ever after story, but she could only hope that it would last.

Pandemonium ensued as McKinley and White tried to slip off the stage and make their way out of the ballroom. They weren't going to wait around to be arrested or be killed by other Familiars. McKinley and White were now living proof of the cult, the only two named members. This would not make the Council happy. They would be wiped out and anyone could be blamed. Just like transgenic deaths by people who didn't understand them, he and McKinley could easily be shot dead in the streets. They could survive poison, but they couldn't necessarily survive bullets.

He hadn't expected to see 452 waiting for him. Nor the other transgenic 494. They looked pleased to fight him. They were ready. He scanned the room and noticed several other transgenics and even a couple of traitor Familiars surrounding McKinley, while his own Familiars were leaving the ballroom. The cowards were more concerned with saving themselves than protecting himself and McKinley. He should have known they would be immediately disowned. The Familiars were never too loyal. Not when it came down to acknowledging their existence.

The NSA agents seemed just as unsure of what to do. They had been there under White's orders, but now they discover that their boss was part of a secret cult that the government had nothing to do with. Should they arrest their boss? Disappear and pretend none of this never happened? Had White committed treason? They certainly weren't inclined to protect White.

White prepared to fight the transgenics, realizing he was on his own. He wouldn't worry about McKinley any more. He wouldn't be president. McKinley was on his own now too. But before White even had a chance, shots rang out in the ballroom and soon White fell into complete blackness. Familiars were good fighters. They were good shots as well. They would leave no evidence behind. Not living or dead. White was down, McKinley following.

The Created stepped away from the dead bodies, shocked by what happened. They hadn't expected the two proven Familiars to be shot dead within minutes of the announcement. It was obvious that the Council had been waiting for something to happen and had default plans in the wings. This wasn't what they expected, but they wouldn't have to worry about White any longer. Dead was more permanent than anything else that could have happened. It's not like he would have been kept in prison. That wasn't the point of exposing him. Exposure would have helped protect the transgenics and stopped the whole world domination thing. That was all.

The group slipped out the door with their abilities, down the block before anyone even realized a large group was gone. They stopped on a corner, looking out of place now in their formal wear in the dreary background. Adrenaline pounded through their veins as they realized the full impact of what had just happened. White was dead. They were safe for the time being. The Cult wasn't gone, but it was injured right now. The Created wasn't done. They wouldn't have to dismantle. There would always be more cult members to fight.

Zack and Zane stood next to each other, making Max think back to the days when they were children and they would be next to each other, showing the chain of command. She impulsively hugged her two siblings, a surge of feeling going through her body. Zack felt a little awkward with the hug, but something about it seemed familiar.

"What's going to happen now?" Max asked quietly.

Xandy smiled in triumph. "Well, a major part of our mission has been completed. We'll never be done. But I'm going back to California. It's too rainy here."

Zane nodded in agreement. "I've got my dog back in California that I've got to take care of. But we'll keep in touch. You never know what kind of trouble we'll end up in."

Alec slung a friendly arm around Max, pulling her closely. "I imagine we'll get the pleasure of working at Jam Pony. You want a job, buddy? I'm sure Normal will be glad to have you. Especially if I ask."

Zack shrugged. "I guess I don't really have a job anymore."

Max laughed, "Yeah, probably not. But I'm not so sure Normal will want to hire you. Let me tell you both a little story…"

The three turned away, leaving the Californians to figure out how they were going to return to their homey warehouse, feeling unusually hopeful. This wasn't one of her normal feelings, but at least tonight she felt like everything was going to be okay. Even if it was just for the night.

THE END!


End file.
